Maddy Burciaga told 2.7 million followers she had left her dog behind with the nanny while she relocated her family from Dubai to Mauritius.
The reason? Paperwork.
“It was too complicated because there’s too much paperwork,” the 32-year-old French influencer said, as missiles and drones continued to strike the UAE.
‘A dog would never leave its human’
La Ligue Des Animaux, a French animal cruelty charity, was not impressed. The NGO published a statement on Monday calling Burciaga out by name.
“A dog, for its part, would never leave its human to save its own skin,” the group wrote.
“Dogs are ready to go through a war just to stay with their humans. That’s the difference between loyalty… and comfort.”
The organisation acknowledged Burciaga’s desire to protect her family but said she could have at least started the process of bringing the dog with her. She had not.
“Try asking someone this superficial for strategy or deep reflection… it’s a lost cause. Shame on her.”
Not her first animal-related controversy
Burciaga, whose real name is Maddy Samat (née Scheidler), is from Pont-à-Mousson in northeastern France. She found fame in 2015 on the reality dating show Qui veut épouser mon fils? and has since built a cosmetics brand, Mlips Cosmetics.
She has been here before. Years ago she faced backlash for promoting Mlips as though it had a partnership with the Fondation Brigitte Bardot, one of France’s best-known animal welfare charities.
She shared content suggesting 25% of profits would go to the foundation and posed with a lion cub. The Fondation denied ever authorising the partnership or agreeing to receive any of the money.
Followers are split
Reactions from her audience have gone in several directions. One user wrote: “If she abandoned her dog, it means she never loved it in the first place. Sadly, it was only used to get ‘views’.”
Others pushed back. “I don’t care about her, but let’s not go overboard,” Beatrice commented. “She went on holiday, she didn’t leave for good!”
Chrissy pointed out a detail most critics had ignored: “It’s her husband’s dog too. He’s a well-known influencer as well. Shining all the spotlight solely on her just so she can get torn apart isn’t very fair.”
Why it matters
The story sits at a familiar intersection for the creator economy: the moment a personal decision becomes public property. Burciaga’s audience followed her into Dubai. They watched her build a life there.
When she left, they expected an explanation, and the one she gave was not good enough. For influencers whose entire brand rests on lifestyle authenticity, every choice is content, and every piece of content is open to judgement.
Dubai’s exodus is bigger than one influencer
Since the Iran conflict began on 28 February, roughly 1,700 missiles and drones have been fired at the Emirates. The expat community that powered Dubai’s creator and business boom is now reassessing the risk.
Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai and Due Process International, wrote on Saturday: “The 2009 crash saw residents flee leaving luxury cars at the airport. Today some are leaving their pets behind.”
Whether Burciaga returns for the dog, or whether the paperwork suddenly becomes less complicated, will probably tell her audience more than any statement she posts.
