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Arts & Entertainment

RIP PAC: Justin Bieber's Hamster Is Dead

Bieber_hamster.jpg
Photos: Justin Bieber (Brad Camembert/Shutterstock) and Hamster (Igor_Kovalchuk via Shutterstock)

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Sad news to report for fans of Justin Bieber and/or hamsters (come on, we know you're out there). The Biebs' furry friend has sadly gone to the great hamster wheel in the sky.

The hamster, PAC, was not actually in Bieber's possession--the young pop star had relinquished care of the pet to Victoria "Tori" Blair McClure, a super fan in Atlanta, who pledged a very intense devotion to the critter.

Bieber, McClure, and, well, all of us, were warned back in December that PAC's time on earth might not be long. The California Hamster Association (yes, it's real), cautioned that the fragile creatures "often succumb quickly to illness and death," especially when faced with "sudden environmental change."

The CHA's beef with Bieber began when news broke that PAC was passed on to McClure following a performance (um, Bieber's performance, not the hamster's). Accusing Bieber of animal cruelty, the CHA lashed out: "The moment that hamster was handed off to a screaming girl in a harsh, frenzied environment was likely the moment it gazed at the short path to its doom."

Doom indeed.

McClure told TMZ little PAC "started to lose his hair two weeks ago so she took it to the vet over the weekend, but it was too little, too late."

PAC is now resting peacefully after his burial beneath a tree in McClure's yard.

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No word on how Bieber is taking the news.

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