Reese Witherspoon targeted for buying puppies from a breeder

Reese Witherspoon has landed in hot water with animal rights activists at PETA after ignoring pet shelters and purchasing two puppies from breeders in the last three months.

The actress has been showing off her new family pets on social media, upsetting PETA, an animal rights organisation trying to encourage celebrities to rescue more needy pets in shelters and put breeders out of business.

As a result of Reese's actions, the activists have arranged for a mobile billboard, featuring a plea to wannabe local pet owners, to circle Nashville, Tennessee - where Witherspoon lives - later this week.

The ad features a cute pup looking through a fence with the message: "DEAR REESE STOP BUYING DOGS Love, Max the shelter dog."

"Every time someone buys a puppy from a pet store or breeder, a dog in an animal shelter loses the chance of finding a home," PETA Senior Vice President of Cruelty Investigations Daphna Nachminovitch said in a statement.

"PETA is asking celebrities like Reese Witherspoon to use their significant influence by showing love to dogs in shelters, who have so much love to give in return, instead of fuelling an industry that perpetuates animal homelessness and suffering," she explained.

PETA also noted that around 70 million dogs and cats are homeless in the U.S. at any given time. Breeders add to this crisis by bringing more animals into the world, who in turn produce even more animals, including many who will end up on the street or in animal shelters.