Heavy/Getty James Kennedy and Raquel Leviss pose with Graham.
“Vanderpump Rules” fans are not completely sold on the story of how James Kennedy ended up getting custody of Graham Cracker, the 4-year-old dog he once shared with Raquel Leviss.
After the Bravo stars split in 2021, Leviss took the Goldendoodle pup and stopped letting Kennedy see him. But in July 2023, Kennedy posted photos of him reunited with Graham during a “Vanderpump Rules” cast trip to Lake Tahoe. “Look who made his way back home, back into my life, I’ll take care of you forever and I love you. ❤️,” Kennedy captioned a photo of him with the dog.
An insider claimed to TMZ that Kennedy reconnected with Graham after Leviss’ family began having behavioral problems with the dog and sent him to a rescue. But after Leviss’ mom, Laura, gave details on how Graham ended at a rescue, eagle-eyed fans noted that the story did not add up.
Fans Pointed Out a Disclaimer on the California Doodle Rescue Website
On July 21, Leviss’ mom Laura told Entertainment Tonight that she took in Graham in April 2023 when her daughter checked into a mental health facility for treatment.
Laura claimed during that time, the dog became aggressive and bit her finger “to the bone.” She also shared a graphic photo of her injury. Leviss’ mom stated that it was suggested that Graham be put down, which she refused.
‘[We] sought out the best rehabilitation center, California Doodle Rescue, that gave him a trainer with over 40 years of experience,” Laura said. “We made the tough decision to drive Graham on May 20 to California Doodle Rescue so that he wasn’t alone and delivered him directly to the trainer’s home with a tearful goodbye.”
Laura claimed that Graham bit three more people, including the trainer, before being turned over to Vanderpump Dog Rescue, which connected him with his former co-owner Kennedy, in mid-July.
While the story has a happy ending for Graham and Kennedy, some fans are questioning if all of the story is true.
The California Doodle Rescue website clearly states: “We CANNOT accept doodles with a history of extreme anxiety, aggression, or biting.”
In a Reddit thread, commenters questioned if the Leviss family did not disclose the biting problem to the rescue. Others note that the disclaimer about biting is under the “Surrender” section on the California Doodle Rescue site.
“It sounds like they worked with the org to find a trainer,” one commenter wrote. “That’s what I thought but then it says he was adopted from that rescue and returned three days later, so they had to have surrendered him at some point,” another pointed out.
“I am so confused by this,” another wrote. “So, they gave up Graham because of his biting problem by taking him to a rescue that, according to their website, doesn’t accept dogs with biting problems or aggression? And said rescue, who apparently knew about the biting problem, just let someone adopt him and he was returned THREE DAYS LATER for the same issue? … this makes no damn sense. Like this story seems plausible on the surface but when you take 5 seconds to look into it there’s question marks everywhere.”
“Something is off with this story,” another agreed. “it makes no sense at all,” another wrote. “Nothings adding up,” a third commenter added.
“I truly believe that Rachel and her mom BEGGED the rescue to take him, bc they knew they would be EVISCERATED if they took Graham to a shelter…. These places will make exceptions,” came a comment on Instagram.
Heavy reached out to reps for Kennedy and Leviss for comment.
A rep for California Doodle Rescue told Heavy, “We have no comment on this story. As a rescue, we always prioritize the health and well being of dogs.”
Fans Had a Mixed Reaction to James Kennedy’s Decision to Change Graham’s Name to Hippie
Kennedy shared another doggie update on his Instagram story on July 23, 2023 as he revealed that he has decided to change Graham Cracker’s name to “Hippie.”
“Hippie!” the DJ captioned a photo of his dog with a heart emoji. “This is a tribute to my late godfather, George Michael’s dog’s name, the only dog I saw around the house growing up. …Although George and Hippie are in heaven now together, I know that they are watching over me now, a proud doggy papa!”
Not everyone thought it was a good idea for Kennedy to rename the dog after four years.
“Why? This dog has experienced enough change & trauma,” one commenter wrote on Instagram.
Another agreed that it seemed “kinda weird to rename a 5 year old dog” who has been through so much change already.
“Keep it Graham too late to change,” wrote a commenter on Threads.
But others applauded Kennedy’s decision to rename Graham and give him a new life.
“He’s giving the dog a fresh start. When the dog comes from a difficult situation, changing its name can be an act of kindness and an important part of helping them feel secure and at home in its new environment,” one fan wrote.
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