Kaitlyn Bristowe Says Dogs Would ‘Play Dead’ to Avoid Switching Houses

Kaitlyn Bristowe is looking out for her best friends.

The former Bachelorette, 39, had been sharing custody of her two dogs, Ramen and Pinot, with ex Jason Tartick since they split in 2023. That arrangement stopped late last year when she explained that the golden retrievers were not responding well to the constant changes. Now, she’s revealing more about how the pups have reacted to their breakup.

“The dogs were having unbearable anxiety at both houses,” she wrote via an Instagram comment on Tuesday, March 25. “They would play dead to not have to switch again.”

Bristowe’s comment came underneath a video she posted featuring one of the two dogs, in which she was lip-syncing to Taylor Swift’s song “Mean.”

“Up your butt and around the corner,” she captioned the post. “You know who you are (it’s you trolls).”

When speculation began to run wild in the comments about exactly what Bristowe was referring to, she felt the need to clarify.

“Let me just make this clear. This post is not about the dogs. Y’all have made it about the dogs. So let me set the record straight,” she began her comment.

Bristowe and Tartick, 36, adopted Ramen and Pinot from Bunny’s Buddies, a non-profit that rescues dogs and cats in Asia. The dogs had been living on the street and never had any stability in their lives until the couple brought them home.

“We have both consulted professionals who all said it’s best for dogs to have one home,” she continued. “Bunny’s Buddies had it in a contract that they were not to be traumatized again moving back and forth, and their behavior was scared, anxious and traumatized. We all made the decision after I said I was no longer willing to coparent. I have always said and still mean it that if he wanted to see the dogs he could.”

And, just to quell any speculation, Bristowe added that her caption was not about Tartick.

“I have not heard from him ever and this was supposed to be a funny up your butt and around the corner joke about something else,” she concluded. “And whatever that something else is can be about whatever i want it to be because it’s my truth and y’all don’t know the half. I’m always the villain in some of your stories. And that’s ok. Just wish you knew the truth.”

Tartick, for his part, announced earlier in March that he had adopted a new dog from a local shelter. He came with the name Rango, but Tartick called on his Instagram followers to help pick a new name.

“My new best buddy needs a name!” he wrote via Instagram on March 5. “I have a few favorites for him, but before I decide, I’d love to hear your ideas. Ironically, the day I chose to volunteer at the rescue was the same day they picked him up from the local shelter. The connection was instant. The rescue named him ‘Rango,’ which I like, but I’m considering something different. Let me know what names you think would work for him!”