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Justin Bieber Slammed by PETA for Petting Tiger at Dad’s Engagement Party

A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) on

The Biebs gone wild! Justin Bieber attended his dad Jeremy Bieber’s engagement party in Toronto on Saturday, April 30, where he angered PETA by petting a Bengal tiger.

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The freshly shaved-headed pop star, 22, took to Instagram to share a photo of himself stroking the wild cat. This did not sit well with PETA, who wasted no time slamming the “Company” crooner. The animal rights organization issued a lengthy statement on Sunday, May 1, criticizing the Bieber family for using the tiger and other exotic animals, which were brought in from Ontario’s Bowmanville Zoo, at the event.

Justin Bieber Jeremy Bieber
Justin Bieber and father Jeremy Bieber attend the Private VIP Art Show and Nyotaimori Celebrating Life Love And Art event held at the Private Residence of Dr. Rita Kilislian and Andy Curnew on April 30, 2016 in Toronto, Canada.

“What Justin and other party guests probably don’t know is that Michael Hackenberger, the owner of that zoo, was recently charged with five counts of cruelty to animals because of PETA’s undercover footage, which shows him viciously whipping a young tiger during a ‘training’ session and then bragging about it,” PETA wrote. “Hackenberger has supplied tigers for films such as Life of Pi and The Interview.”

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“Exotic animals used for entertainment are usually torn away from their mothers at a young age, beaten into submission by trainers, and forced to live in cramped enclosures. They may even be fed sedatives so that they’re docile during events and parties like the one Justin attended,” the company continued. “Tigers used in this way are denied everything that they need to be happy, and we can only imagine that the tiger Justin posed with has experienced a life of misery. Justin and other guests are lucky that they weren’t attacked by the wild animals. In similar situations, animals have been known to lash out because of the stress of their miserable lives.”

Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber attends his father’s engagement party on April 30, 2016 in Toronto, Canada.

JB has yet to respond to PETA’s comments. Regardless, the singer seemingly enjoyed himself at his father’s party. In addition to posing with a tiger, Bieber hung out with costumed superheroes such as Iron Man and Batman, and he even took a seat behind the wheel of the Batmobile.

Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber at his father’s engagement party.

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Bieber’s dad, Jeremy, 40, also appeared to be happy with all the festivities, which took place at a private VIP art show, simultaneous to an event called the “Nyotaimori Celebrating Life Love And Art.” Following the fete, he posted a pic of himself and his bride-to-be, Chelsey Rebelo, simply writing, “Us.”

Us

A post shared by Jeremy Bieber (@jeremybieber) on

Jeremy asked for 28-year-old Rebelo’s hand in marriage in February while they were vacationing in St. Bart’s. “On February 19th, 2016, I proposed to my best friend Chelsey Rebelo,” he wrote of the moment on social media.

Jeremy Bieber Chelsea Rebelo
Jeremy Bieber and Chelsea Rebelo arrive at their engagement party.

Jeremy was previously in a relationship with Pattie Mallette, with whom he shares Bieber. He is also the father of Jazmyn, 7, and Jaxon, 6, who he had with his ex Erin Wagner. 

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