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Blake Shelton's puppy ploy didn't stand a chance against Nick Jonas on 'The Voice'

The Voice returned for its 18th season this Monday, with new coach Nick filling up the fourth red chair. Incumbent coach Blake Shelton clearly was feeling threatened by all the Beatlemanical screams in the studio audience for the youngest Jonas Brother, so when the veteran and the rookie battled over 16-year-old prodigy Tate Brusa, Blake had recruit someone even cuter and cuddlier than Nick. “I don’t have a dog in this fight,” noted coach John Legend, who hadn’t turned for Tate — but apparently Blake did have a dog in this fight. Literally. Out of nowhere, Blake presented an adorable yellow lab pound puppy named Snowflake, warning Tate, “If you don’t choose me as your coach, this puppy is going to go straight back to the animal shelter!” Well… it didn’t work. Blake was no match for Nick in this case. Even Snowflake’s cuteness could not complete the former teenybopper. Tate, a sweet-voiced and -faced teen heartthrob and self-avowed Nick Jonas fanboy who actually bore a passing resemblance to Joe Jonas, was obviously already leaning towards Nick, but when Nick hopped onstage to play guitar on Tate’s cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect,” it was a done deal and a dog day afternoon for Blake. Hopefully Snowflake is OK. Judging from the way Kelly Clarkson was fawning over the little cream-colored fluff bundle, she might’ve adopted him after the show. Or maybe Snowflake was shipped off to wherever original coach CeeLo Green’s Purrfect the Cat and pink cockatoo Lady ended up after the Voice retirement. And on a related note, what is up with Blake preying on the sympathy of pet-lovers in an attempted to win over contestants? Remember that he lied about the death of his cat “Sandy”? Sheesh. I am just waiting for NBC to issue a disclaimer saying, “No animals were harmed in the making of The Voice.”