Tragic Liam Payne and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy adopted dog called Nala from animal rescue shelter in Miami a month before he fell to his death from hotel balcony

Tragic Liam Payne adopted a rescue dog from an animal shelter just weeks before he plunged to his death from a hotel balcony.

Kate Cassidy, 25, was pictured walking pet Nala while carrying two packets of dog food in Florida earlier this week – the first time she has been seen since her popstar boyfriend’s death.

It was a dog that Payne doted on and one day hoped might form part of a ‘nice and loving family’.

The troubled One Direction singer had previously described the encounter which led to the adoption as a ‘meet and greet with a couple doggos’.

Speaking of his furry friend, he added: ‘I really love her. She is so cute.

The actress this weekend was seen in Florida picking up dog food for the pooch she shared with Payne

It was a dog that Payne doted on and one day hoped might form part of a ‘nice and loving family’

Kate had added: ‘We did a meet and greet with three different dogs and this one fit us best. She’s so sweet. She’s only four months old. She was abandoned by her previous owners and dumped at the shelter. We wanted to give her a second chance and a better life’

‘She is a tiny new member of the family for a while.

‘We’re going to foster her for a while and get her really nice for a loving family I think. But we might be the nice family.’

Kate had added: ‘We did a meet and greet with three different dogs and this one fit us best. She’s so sweet. She’s only four months old. She was abandoned by her previous owners and dumped at the shelter. We wanted to give her a second chance and a better life.’ 

Liam, 31, died when he fell from a balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday.

He and Kate had gone to see a gig by Liam’s former bandmate Niall Horan but Kate returned to their Florida home two days before Payne’s death.

It emerged that the singer had been acting ‘erratically’ prior to the fall with police called to see to ‘an aggressive man who may have been under the effects of drugs and alcohol’.

Kate Cassidy (right) and the singer originally flew to Buenos Aires to watch his former bandmate Niall Horan ‘s concert on October 4

On Friday Kate broke her silence to pay an emotional tribute to Payne. The post on her Instagram read: ‘Thank you for all of the kind words and love that has been sent my way. 

‘I have been at a complete loss. Nothing about the past few days have felt real. I ask and pray that you’ll give me the grace and space to navigate this in private.

‘Liam, my angel. You are everything. I want you to know I loved you unconditionally and completely. I will continue to love you for the rest of my life. I love you Liam.’ 

Ms Cassidy and Payne first started dating in October 2022, and made their red carpet debut at the Fashion Awards later that year.

The pair then put an end to split rumours by enjoying a date in London in June last year, and later that year she supported him when he was rushed to hospital with a ‘serious kidney infection’. 

The former One Direction star fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Palmero hotel.

Police and prosecutors are continuing to investigate the tragedy which is being treated as an ‘inconclusive death’.

A post-mortem examination has determined that he died from multiple injuries. 

Kate and Liam first started dating in October 2022, and made their red carpet debut at the Fashion Awards later that year

Payne and Ms Cassidy watching on Centre Court at Wimbledon last year

Lead investigator, Prosecutor Marcelo Roma, has called for histopathological, biochemical and toxicological studies to be carried out, to confirm whether the musician was drugged and intoxicated.

With those results expected to take between ten to 15 days, Argentina’s National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office is currently treating his death as ‘inconclusive’, it has emerged.

His father Geoff has travelled to the Argentine capital to confirm the body is his son’s and to arrange for its repatriation back to the UK once it is released by the authorities. His funeral is expected to take place in November.

It was announced on Sunday that two workers at the hotel where Payne fell to his death are being investigated for supplying the star with drugs in the days leading up to the tragedy.

Payne with fans in Argentina in the days leading up to his death 

Payne pictured next to a lift in the Casa Sur Hotel lobby at 4.28pm last Wednesday – shortly before his death, which is currently being treated as ‘inconclusive’

Fans of Payne cry during a memorial gathering at Santa Ana Square in Madrid yesterday

The men are accused of smuggling them into the singer’s suite at the hotel. 

A cleaner and another member of staff are said to have hidden the drugs in a Dove soap box which detectives found in Payne’s room following his death.

White powder, crystals, tablets and other paraphernalia were discovered in the third-floor suite.

Police have sent the chemicals – believed to be cocaine and crack cocaine – for analysis.

Grieving Londoners gather with balloons next to the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Garden

Fans gather to pay tribute to Payne surrounded by candles in Paris