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Fans of “Vanderpump Rules” have been eagerly following the latest developments on Graham Cracker, the adorable dog shared by Raquel Leviss and James Kennedy before their split, as the Goldendoodle was reunited with Kennedy and subsequently renamed Hippie.
While speaking with fans on her Amazon Live stream on July 24, Scheana Shay gave the inside scoop on how Kennedy was reunited with his dog during their trip to Lake Tahoe. “We are in Tahoe, right, and all of sudden Lisa Vanderpump comes walking down the stairs,” Shay began. “She looks like an angel by the way.”
“And she comes down the stairs with this dog that looks identical to Graham,” Shay continued. “James’ heart is racing. Sandoval’s sitting right there. All of us are like, ‘What is happening?'”
Shay explained that Vanderpump rescued the dog and he made his way back to Kennedy. According to Shay, Kennedy’s girlfriend Ally Lewber said “she has never seen James happier… He is so in love.” The VPR OG revealed that the couple already shares two cats and now have Hippie as well.”
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Raquel Leviss’ Mother Explained That They Had to Give Graham Up Due to Behavioral Issues
Shay also told listeners during her Amazon Live that when the dog was living in her apartment with Raquel Leviss for a time, “[he] was not the nicest puppy.” She added, “This dog in Tahoe on this trip, I was like ‘this is not the same dog.'” She described the dog in Lake Tahoe as “the most well-behaved, sweet Goldendoodle,” who climbed into bed and cuddled them.
Kennedy and Leviss got their dog in 2018. The DJ explained to Andy Cohen on “Watch What Happens Live” that the dog was “technically” Leviss’ dog as he was a “graduation present” from Leviss’ mother, though both Kennedy and Leviss raised him together. “I’ll always love the little guy and I do miss him right now,” he told Cohen at the time.
After Kennedy and Leviss’ breakup in 2021, Leviss kept Graham and during “Vanderpump Rules,” viewers saw Leviss explain that she didn’t want Kennedy to see him in order to maintain boundaries.
After Kennedy announced on July 19 that Graham (now Hippie) was back in his care, Leviss’ mother shared with Entertainment Tonight that the dog had been placed in a rescue to rehome him following behavioral issues. She said the dog had been biting several people and while they were caring for him during Leviss’ stint in a mental health facility, he bit her “to the bone.”
“I saw two doctors for the wound that suggested he be euthanized, which we absolutely declined, and sought out the best rehabilitation center,” she explained. Leviss’ mother said the new owners returned him to the rescue after three days of moving to his new home since he’d bitten them too, at which point the rescue reached out to Lisa Vanderpump.
“Lisa offered to adopt Graham and he was picked up by Vanderpump Dogs Rescue on July 13,” she told the publication. “California Doodle Rescue was told that Vanderpump Dogs would either rehabilitate him and place him in a good home or he could live on her property until his dying day. My daughter nor I ever dumped Graham and want nothing but the best for him.”
James Kennedy Renamed the Dog From Graham to Hippie
As Shay pointed out in her Amazon Live, Kennedy decided to rename Graham to Hippie, in tribute to another dog that was important to him as a child.
The DJ made the announcement on his Instagram Story on July 23 and said the name was picked in honor of George Michael’s dog’s name. Michael, who died in 2016, was Kennedy’s godfather. “Although George and hippie are in heaven now together I know that they are watching over me now, a proud doggy papa!” he added.
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