Why did Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens receive death threats over their dog? Details explored

Simone Biles has found herself pulled into an unexpected online storm after the breeder of her newly purchased Doberman Pinscher came under heavy fire for altering the dog's appearance. That breeder chose to trim the puppy's ears and shorten its tail - procedures that critics argue are unnecessary - which sparked strong reactions, even death threats and online abuse, as reported by TMZ Sports. Things blew up fast once supporters and PETA called out Biles and her spouse, Jonathan Owens, for picking a dog already altered this way, dragging pet breeding ethics into public view.

William Regal, the owner of Regal Empire Dobermans says backlash has crossed the line, citing threats and business interference

According to TMZ, William Regal, the owner of Regal Empire Dobermans, says that the aftermath of the controversy has risen far above standard criticism now. The longtime breeder has gone out talking about what he claims is severe harassment. Regal states that the backlash has also had its share of threatening messages and attempts by his critics to disrupt his business operations.

Going straight to the point, he emphasized that the processes at the heart of the controversy are legally executed by licensed veterinarians in the United States and have been a standard practice in the industry. Another reason that Regal cited as to why Dobermans should be considered in terms of health and safety is that such modifications are usually aimed at mitigating injuries and chronic health problems. He said (via TMZ):

"This is a procedure done by licensed veterinarians in the U.S. It's common practice... She's done nothing wrong. I haven't done anything wrong either."

Based on his ten years of experience in breeding, Regal claimed that he is not interested in fighting with animal rights organizations, but that the reaction has gone too far, especially when it comes to personal threats and attacks that are related to high profile individuals involved.

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