Prince William and Princess Catherine have been accused of being “staggeringly out of touch” by animal rights activists.
The Prince of Wales, who turned 43 last week, marked his birthday with a picture taken by Princess Catherine in Windsor earlier in June.
The snap was shared by Kensington Palace on Instagram and showed the royal with the family's cocker spaniel Orla and three of her four puppies.
The caption read: “Happy birthday! Love C, G, C, L, Orla and the puppies!” referring to Catherine and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
The post was heavily criticised by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), who accused the royal couple of “churning out a litter” amid an animal homelessness crisis.
“The Prince and Princess of Wales should know that shelters here and worldwide are overflowing with puppies desperate for a second chance at a loving home, and that churning out a litter in the midst of this animal homelessness crisis is staggeringly out of touch,” Elisa Allen, vice president of programmes at Peta, slammed in a statement.
"If William is going to lead, he might well take a lesson from King Charles and Queen Camilla, who have chosen to adopt from a shelter rather than contribute to the problem,” Allen added.
The King and Queen adopted a puppy named Moley from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in February, following the death of Camilla’s beloved Jack Russell terrier Beth, who, like her other rescue dog Bluebell, was adopted from the same shelter.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have had Orla since 2020, after the death of their first dog together, Lupo, also a cocker spaniel, gifted to them by Catherine's brother James Middleton, who is an experienced breeder and has owned three generations of cocker spaniels.
Orla gave birth to four puppies last month, with the couple reportedly planning to keep one of them.
PETA's remarks have drawn sharp backlash from critics who defended the royal couple’s decision, with some labelling them an “extremist group” and “animal rights terrorists".
Royal author Lady Colin Campbell posted on X: “I see the Animal Rights Terrorists are at it again. PETA has attacked the Prince and Princess of Wales for daring to breed from their dog. They commend (rightly) The King and Queen for rescuing dogs from Battersea Dogs Home, while condemning Wiliam and Catherine for allowing their family dog, which is a descendant of her brother's beloved dog, to have puppies."
She added: “What a world we live in. Doctrinaire fanatics refuse to acknowledge that they do their cause more harm than good by trying to bully people for making perfectly reasonable and acceptable choices.”
Former Conservative MSP Brian Monteith, now a communications adviser to the campaign group PETA Watch, said: “For PETA to attack the Princess of Wales during her battle with cancer over her decision to raise a puppy with her children is disgusting," Daily Mail reported.
"PETA should apologise and withdraw its comments. But this animal rights group has form for outlandish attacks - it’s done to attract publicity and donations when it provides no support to animal sanctuaries or rescue centres," he blasted.
Meanwhile, Conservative MP Andrew Rosindell, former shadow minister for animal welfare, has written to the Charity Commission calling for PETA's charitable status to be revoked.
"Peta’s attack on the Prince and Princess of Wales for responsibly breeding their beloved cocker spaniels is not only unfair but shows a complete lack of understanding of animal welfare," they stated.
A spokesperson for the group responded, stating the organisation’s goal “is, and always has been, to reduce animal suffering,” and noted that the charity is backed by more than nine million members and supporters globally.