Princess Anne is still the only person in the immediate royal family to ever face criminal charges. I know, it’s wild that it’s Anne and not, say, Prince Andrew. Anne had to pay a £500 fine in 2001 after her dog bit two children in Windsor. Unlike her mother, Anne never had corgis – she has always favored English bull terriers, and she seems to get the most high-strung and poorly trained terriers out there. Her dogs are always attacking people and other animals. Well, it happened again, this time at a Christmas shooting party at Sandringham.
There’s nothing quite as shameful in British country circles as being the owner of an ill-trained hound that disrupts a day’s hunting or shooting. So one imagines Princess Anne will be appropriately mortified after one of her English bull terriers allegedly attacked a gamekeeper’s dog during a Royal Family pheasant shoot.
According to a report in the Sun, the royal dog fight happened during the Boxing Day shoot on Christmas Day at Sandringham, when Anne’s dog “sank its teeth” into the ear of a dog belonging to a gamekeeper, resulting in “a lot of blood and screaming.”
The Sun’s source said: “The Boxing Day shoot’s a huge family affair so Anne took along her dog. It ran across the field straight at the gamekeeper’s dog and latched on to its ear.”
Anne famously eschewed her mother’s preferred breed, corgis, in favor of bull terriers, which were originally bred for bull baiting and have a powerful bite. The princess, at the time of her first acquisition, declared: “This will give the palace corgis a run for their money.”
The latest episode appears to have been prolonged and traumatic. The source told the Sun: “It took a while to get the dog off the ear because it had really sunk its teeth in. Everyone was OK in the end but the atmosphere was extremely tense afterwards for some time. A good few people questioned what if it had been Charlotte or George or any of the children instead of another dog?”
Anne has form when it comes to her dogs running wild: she was the first royal to be convicted in court (under the dangerous dogs act) when she admitted in 2001 that her bull terrier Dotty bit two children while off the leash in Windsor Great Park. The older child, aged 12, was bitten on the collar bone and twice on the leg, while his 7-year-old brother was scratched on the arm and bitten on the leg. Both went to hospital but did not need stitches. She was fined £500 and a judge warned the dog would be destroyed if it reoffended.
A year later another of Anne’s terriers, called Florence, attacked one of the Queen’s corgis at Christmas. The corgi had to be put down.
Norfolk Police and the RSPCA have received no reports or complaints about the latest alleged dog incident, the Sun reported.
Dogs are dogs and I’m of the opinion that sometimes, there are just dogs who shouldn’t be around other people and dogs who shouldn’t be put in excitable situations. Like, it’s a very modern thing to believe that your dog is supposed to be perfectly behaved all the time around everyone, just like it’s a modern thing to believe that your dogs should be welcome everywhere, around everyone. Anne should have learned her lesson years ago, decades ago, when her f–king dog attacked two children: leave the dogs at home. She owns a huge property, Gatcombe, where her dogs can play and be badly behaved and ill-tempered all they want.
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- WINDSOR, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 10: Princess Anne, Princess Royal attends a reception for winners of the Queen’s Awards For Enterprise at Windsor Castle on November 10, 2021 in Windsor, England.,Image: 642624749, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Anne, Princess Royal attends a Service of Thanksgiving for HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Westminster Abbey, London, England, UK on Tuesday 29 March, 2022.,Image: 673819420, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
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- Thousands turned up to watch as The Coffin Carrying Queen Elizabeth II Is Transferred From Buckingham Palace To The Palace Of Westminster followed byHis Majesty King Charles III his sons Prince William and Prince Harry as well as Prince Edward, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew, September 14 2022.,Image: 722763812, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: cpuk / Avalon
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- The Princess Royal, as Commodore-in-Chief Portsmouth, meets Royal Navy personnel at Portsmouth Naval Base who took part in Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral procession. Picture date: Thursday September 22, 2022.,Image: 725524716, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red / Avalon
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- Britain’s Prince William, Britain’s Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral, Sir Timothy Laurence attend the annual Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in London, Britain November 12, 2022.,Image: 737052341, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: CHRIS RADBURN / Avalon
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- Athens, GREECE – Princess Anne of England attends the Metropolitan Cathedral for the funeral of King Constantine of Greece Pictured: Princess Anne – Princess Royal BACKGRID USA 16 JANUARY 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall where Her Majesty will lie in state Featuring: Princess Anne the Princess Royal Where: London, United Kingdom When: 14 Sep 2022 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
Jfc keep your dog ON LEASH Anne! She clearly doesn’t have them very well trained if the first thing it does is barrel across a field at another dog, and she has the same level of entitlement as the rest of them in thinking her uncontrollable dogs don’t need to be leashed and under her control at all times. Let the poors move out of its way.
And a bite to the collarbone? How lucky that child was – a few inches higher and that’s a bite through an artery.
The fact that her dog went after a gamekeeper’s dog is also pretty bad (dont get me wrong – ANY aggression towards ANYONE, animal or human, is BAD!). That dog is part of his livelihood and he has probably spent months or years training him up. I live in the countryside and my next door neighbour is a gun dog breeder and trainer. He literally spends hours every single day training his pups and doting over them constantly so that they are perfect hunting companions. To have one of them attacked… he’d be absolutely devastated.
Btw this also reminds me of a neighbour who had a young staffordshire terrier that he would stupidly let off lead. About 10 months ago right during lambing time he let his dog off lead and it killed a ewe and a newly born lamb. To avoid a lawsuit my neighbour put down his dog, which is absolutely terrible. Just keep him on a lead and literally no animal would have had to die!! It makes me so mad, for the dog and for the farmer who lost some of his flock.
I’m thinking that the guy who put his staffordshire terrier down did it because once a dog gets a taste of the livestock, they can’t be trained out of it.
It can be worse for some dogs to be on a lead if there are other dogs around or if some dogs are on a lead and some aren’t. No clue if Anne’s dog is like that, but even if it is – the answer then is to leave your dog behind.
We had a yellow lab who loved other dogs and was the sweetest dog overall (I mean he was a menace in so many ways lol, but he never bit or growled etc), but on a leash he was different and would go after other dogs. So, we never took him places where he needed to be on a leash and other dogs might be present (think farmer’s market etc.)
It just sounds like Anne doesn’t train her dogs for sh!t – one attacked two children, another attacked one of the queen’s corgis so badly it had to be put down, and now this? I’m sure this hasn’t been the only incident in the past 20 years either.
THIS! A hundred times THIS!
Keep your dogs leashed.
I keep mine leashed because I don’t want them to get hurt or to hurt someone else’s pet.
It ain’t rocket science.
Leash your freakin’ dog, Anne.
I’d be very interested to hear from British readers about leash laws in the UK. A few years ago, I visited England, Scotland, and Ireland, and though I saw many people out with their dogs, none of the dogs were leashed. In many cases, I wondered if the dog was a stray, but it would end up running to catch up to a person walking 40 to 50 feet ahead. I don’t care how well trained you think your dog is. I was especially horrified in London, where the traffic is so terrible. In the States, most state and local governments have laws on the books, requiring a dog be leashed when not on the owners property.
Also, doesn’t the UK have BSL? “Pit Bulls” are often banned under BSL, even though a pit bull isn’t a breed, but a broad umbrella that covers many breeds that share certain features, among them, Bull Terriers. So if this was just a random non-aristo, would the dog be banned under BSL?
Leaving dogs at home per what this post says is common sense but these crusty royals want to do what they want to do and because of who they are they can mostly get away with it. These are such trash people much like the other trash people in the world, just with more money and access to things.
She doesn’t talk to the press and “works” more but she’s as crappy and entitled as the rest. No patience for any of them anymore.
Agreed. They are each horrible human beings in their own way. And I’m kinda sick of the “dysfunctional upbringing” or “that’s aristocrats!”. They are freaking entitled AHs who think they are above any rules.
Considering the youngest of my two Cavalier (King Charles LOL!) Spaniels is a pandemic puppy who hasn’t been well socialized with unfamiliar dogs, I probably shouldn’t opine, but I will anyway 😂. But first, a question or two. Are bull terriers difficult to train? Are their instincts so powerful they can’t be taught to overcome them? If not, then Anne really is liable for the harm they do. If she can’t or won’t train her dogs, surely someone in the RF retinue could do it for her.
I don’t know if dog parks are a thing in the UK but taking my dog to one since he was a puppy has really helped socialize him. It doesn’t take the place of training, but they learn to behave with other dogs. If you cannot physically control even a well-trained dog, then it cannot be unleashed in public. I mean physically go pick the dog up and pry open its jaws.
as someone who works rescue, I actually advise people not to use dog parks to socialize their dogs because there are many people that don’t understand that socialization is about creating positive experiences who take their very poorly trained, unsocialized, dogs there which often ends up creating more issues.
staffies (bull terriers) are people pleasers and can easily be trained & socialized especially if you work with a good, certified dog trainer who focuses on positive reinforcement as opposed to use of aversive techniques. That said, when it comes to bull breeds, socialization with other animals, they can be de-socialized so routine exposure to/socialization with non-resident dogs that are well socialized is highly recommended
Exactly what pottymouth pup said.
Further, every single dog on the planet needs to be on a leash at all times, when they aren’t at home. I have a 8 pound mix breed who sincerely thinks she is the biggest sh*t kicker on the planet, but she wouldn’t actually bite a human, under her normal circumstances, so should I just let her terrorize the planet because she’s little and cute, and only really hates other dogs and cats? She would absolutely bite any dog that came for her, even if she earned them coming for her with her tiny terrorist attitude.
Bull terriers are very sweet and cuddly, but they can be aggressive which is why they need rigorous training from the moment of adoption. Anne should have stuck with corgis since she clearly isn’t willing to invest the time and effort to properly train her dogs.
I have a large boxer – the sweetest dog but when playing he latches onto his toys with jaws that cannot be unhinged and he will not be the first to let go. I always think what if that were a child. So, I simply keep him away from small children. Common sense can save a lot of heartache and regret.
I have 2 dogs. they don’t get along with other dogs, mostly as we mostly don’t go out, they aren’t well socialized. it’s our fault 100 %, but based on how our home life is. our previous dog got on very well with other dogs. But we don’t put them in situations where they would negatively interact with other dogs or people.
you need to understand the temperament of your dogs. and not put them into situations that they may behave badly. If you don’t, it’s 100% on you.
This, 1000%. Our dog is a sweet little yellow floof with people, but reactive to other dogs. She was a rescue, so we don’t know what experiences she may have had that caused that. We don’t have any other animals and she has a fenced yard. She’s good on her leash for walks in the neighborhood; we just cross the street and keep her on a short lead if other dogs are out. I can’t imagine having multiple poorly behaved dogs menacing the countryside, but Anne is a giant, entitled b!tch so I’m not surprised to read this in the slightest.
See? Normal people just like us.
“what if it had been Charlotte or George or THE OTHER CHILDREN,” emphasis mine LOL. Nice to see the pecking order reinforced…
This reminds me of when Philip was still driving into his nineties and he hit the car with the two women and a child. All they did was take his license away, but no other consequences. They really do live in a bubble, don’t they?
“Boxing Day shoot on Christmas Day!” I know they have a shoot on Boxing Day. Simple proofreading is beyond these publications?
I thought Boxing Day was the day after Christmas. 🤔
Who benefits from this story being pushed in the press?
everyone in the brf except for Anne. this is the palace distraction machine attempting to get us all to shut up about Harry’s book. no one is going after Anne. she’s just the latest on the chopping block/in the bus lane.
Not bull terriers, that’s for sure. Proud terrier mama. These babies ares the sweetest, goofiest dogs. On leash, my dog is great with kids. They can pet her and bring their kid energy around her and she loves it. But I wouldn’t let her off leash with small children because she is a muscular dog with a strong jaw. She plays safely with other dogs her size, but a child her size is a different matter, and I could see pup being confused about when nipping is acceptable and when it’s not.
Andrew has been identified as a leaker before and is spoilt to nth degree. I could see him wanting to lash out and burn down everything since he’s been banned from official royal duties. But but but he was next in line after Charles for decades you guys. He had to move out of his Buckingham Palace office, how dare they!
I wonder how many dogs she has? It’s harder to train them when you have several.
Didn’t QE2 have like, a ton of corgis? If Anne did the same with dogs bred for bull baiting, I’m not surprised she’s had multiple issues.
No matter how many dogs, it’s not hard to train them if you hire a dog trainer.
@Eurydice ~ no matter the excellence of the dog trainer, if the human guardian doesn’t do the necessary work (and believe me, it is work!) then there’s only so much a trainer can do.
By all means, Anne, don’t learn a lesson about leaving dogs home after yours went after children. She’s not lazy like some of the BRF but otherwise is as self-entitled as the rest of them.
So entitlement extends to royal pets as well?
wait, so it sounds like one of Anne’s dogs fatally injured one of the queen’s corgis?! good heavens! talk about burying the lede.
The queen should have sued. 😉
Yes, where are the screaming headlines – Careless Anne’s brutal beast savagely murders the Queen’s beloved pet!!
Anne isn’t the only royal with poorly-trained dogs. One of QEII’s corgis attacked Beatrice’s 11-year-old dog, mauled it, and ripped its ear off. No charges were filed of course.
Leave your poorly trained bully breed at home, she’s lucky the dog latched onto an ear rather than the neck. Super gross that she’s a repeat offender who insists on endangering others.
When one of her dogs kills a child, will we even hear about it? Maybe it’s already happened.
The Daily Mail headline would be “Lower class child almost chokes Royal dog with its throat. This is a slap in the face to the Queen, sources say.”
*snort* 😂😂😂
Some dogs are just not happy being with other dogs. Leave them at home.
And always have your dog leashed when out for a walk.
If my dog had bitten a child, I’d have been beside myself.
Either train the dog properly, leashed, or leave the dog at home.
That photo of PA in her tv room makes me laugh!
She is a multi-millionaire, that room looks like the furniture I bought from H4H decades ago. Are we meant to think Anne can’t afford a chairs?
Reminds me of reading “Not In Front of the Corgis” in which the corgis are revealed to be untrained messes. You’d think snooty royals would pay someone to train the dogs to not do things like this, right?
Why is this being released now?
They’re running out of stories to distract from the huge success of SPARE. It’s Anne’s turn I guess.
Aggression resulting in blood/maiming/death on at least 3 separate occasions from more than one of Anne’s dogs? At this point it’s very clear that the problem is the owner. The poor other dog and the poor employee who probably can’t demand accountability because she’s the king’s sister and he works for the king. What a trashy bunch. If Charles had any interest in using his power wisely he’d order her to give up her dogs and prohibit her from getting more. The next story will be even worse PR.
People with dogs of breeds like that need to make sure they are well trained. If not, how hard is it to keep it on a leash or leave it at home?? It gives the breed such a bad rep. Anne is a repeat offenser and obviously should not be parent of any kind of dogs that can significantly, physically hurt another living body, since she has proven with time that she’s still a sh!t dog parent.
(I am still Bearcat Lawyer, but for some reason my comments never post anymore under my original handle. So I am trying this.)
@pottymouth pup, a bull terrier is not necessarily a Staffordshire bull terrier (Staffies). They are two very different breeds. Photos have shown Anne with bull terriers, not Staffies, in the past. I do not know much about this breed, but the AKC website makes it clear that is is not good with other dogs. I noticed too that the bull terrier breed standard is pretty quiet about temperament, saying only that it should be amenable to discipline. That strikes me as possibly code for “needs firm and consistent training.”
I think Anne’s dogs are most likely poorly trained and/or poorly supervised in social settings. But after multiple attacks on other dogs and humans, she really needs to take a hard look at both training and supervision. Just because her dogs get along with each other and behave well around her and her family does NOT mean they can be trusted to do so around other people and dogs. She should be able to train them to ignore animals and people on command. If she cannot, then her dogs should not be allowed out in situations like this.
As for training, while I have found many dogs can be trained well by third parties, it can be difficult for owners to maintain the results over time unless they are very, very committed to training. When I help friends train their dogs, it is a team effort so the dog learns that it does not matter who gives the command – it must be obeyed. If Anne is entrusting the training to others and not reinforcing their lessons regularly, it is not surprising that her dogs go rogue.
As for Cavaliers, I breed and show them as a hobby. I do NOT recommend dog parks or even human parks at all. I have heard too many horror stories of Cavaliers being attacked and injured or killed by bigger dogs and their irresponsible owners. My advice is to get to know the reputable Cavalier breeders and owners in your area and schedule play dates in your homes. Some Cavaliers love being part of a pack and having lots of people and dog friends. Others – especially females – are more selective. In general though, I have found that Cavaliers tend to prefer their people to dogs and are often more focused on making humans happy than romping with their dog pals. Good luck!
I love my dog and that means being his advocate and specifically not putting him in positions where he could be subject to or cause harm with any other person or animal. Why on earth would you let an aggressive dog off-leash in any situation where there are people and other dogs around?
My sister was recently attacked by a dog in NYC last summer while she was minding her own business. This woman and her two dogs were blocking part of the sidewalk while checking the mailbox and my sister passed one of the dogs on the from behind and just stepped behind it to get around it. The dog turned around and lunged at her, biting her stomach and through the skin. My sister was too shocked at the time to exchange info with the owner and I think the owner was too shocked by what her dog had done, my sister just wanted to get home and take care of herself. Of course looking back, my sister had wished she’d demanded contact info (and she’s fine btw, the bite healed and wasn’t very deep and my sister got medical attention for it). She’s seen the owner with the dogs in the neighborhood a few times since but my sister just avoids her now and crosses the street because she doesn’t want to get into it.
It just goes to show you really can’t be distracted ever when out in public with a dog, even if it’s on a leash. I love dogs and think they’re great but I believe most dogs should be leashed at all times in most public spaces (I say this as a former dog owner). There are some very well trained dogs out there but most aren’t. And even on a leash, if the owner isn’t fully in control, accidents can still happen. The fact that this has happened before on Anne’s watch is disappointing, but not unexpected. A lot of dog owners feel entitled about their dogs and think they should free at all times unleashed and this drives me nuts. Even now at my local park where they allow dogs during the winter months (they are not allowed in summer), the dogs are all supposed to be leashed. But none of them are leashed on the beach. Why? Because the townspeople argue that the “low tide line” does not fall under city jurisdiction so therefore the dogs can run around unleashed below the low tide mark and the city can’t enforce the rules there. Drives me nuts.
Bull terriers have a bite force of 240-330 PSI, and can easily bring down larger prey. If she’s going to have a breed of dog that can easily become aggressive and territorial then get proper training FFS. Next thing it’s going to attack a kid. Like owner like dog I guess…
Anne was not at church on Christmas Day and did not do the walk-about, we were told that she was sick with a bad cold, that she may not even be in Sandringham. Does this mean she was fully recovered the next day to be on a hunt with her dog accompanying? I don’t hunt but thought there were special dogs used for hunting and not a bring any dog kind of sport.
Lol! Anne did not want to do the church walk, which is really all about Kate and her kids.
HAHA good catch. So she was too sick for the walk but just fine for the shoot the next day.
No one matters to these people but themselves and their whims.
Wtf is wrong with Anne??? Does she not know what a leash is??? And one of her dogs essentially KILLED one of the Queen’s corgis??? And this stupid woman STILL hasn’t learned??? I’m guessing that, like most of the rest of the royal family, she doesnt think laws apply to her. Way way too many people give Anne a pass for being an unmitigated asshole, and it’s not hard to see where Zara got her atrocious manners, and why Bellend Mike Tindall, of dwarf-throwing fame, appealed to her. F*ck that whole lot.
**NOTE- my last dog was attacked and killed right in front of me by a stranger’s pit bull who was off leash. So I get SUPER shitty when I hear stories like this.
WTF is wrong with Anne? WTF is wrong with any member of that vile family? The entitlement and arrogance are overweening! And yes: f*ck that whole lot.
Anne is a total fraud. She barely does shit with the supposed zillion charities she’s “patron” of. She shows up for 5 min and tries not to look bored. Well, SOMETIMES she tries not to look bored. She’s known for being rude to staff and commoners, and NOW we find out that she’s just like those dumbfucks on Judge Judy, whose off-leash dangerous dog decided to make a meal of the Yorkie next door. Anne seems just as unrepenting and unapologetic as the dickbrains on Judge Judy, because if she DID feel bad, she wouldnt let it keep happening! I guess it’s HER world and we just live in it.
**Note** Booboocita- I hope it’s clear that my ire is directed soley at the RF, not you. I know it probably is very clear, but just in case.. (shakes my fist at the sky, eastward towards England)
I can’t believe this has happened three times. What is wrong with that woman. Leave the dogs at home.
There is a walking trail that I use all year round. I’m always passing people with their LEASHED dogs. Most of the dogs will see you and it’s like “you want to love me!” Which I do. Every once in a while I’ll see someone who is walking a dog which is leashed and muzzled. It never occurred to me to pay attention to the dog breeds, but I’m willing to bet that those dog breeds could do some serious damage. The dogs are never bothered by the muzzles or the people passing by. This seems like a sensible solution if you want to get out with your dog, but you are aware how much damage they could do if for some unforeseen reason they bit someone. It really shows the difference between being a responsible dog owner and someone who could care less. (I always ask the owners of the muzzled dogs if it’s okay to pet them.)
I had a Rhodesian that we rescued when she was about ten weeks old. We brought it to the dog park with our other dog at least once a day when she was young. She never liked other dogs but didn’t go after them. Then one day a dog went to drink water at the fountain while she was there and she attacked. The last day at the dog park for her and a $1,000 vet bill for the other dog. Some dogs just shouldn’t be around other dogs or people. By the way, she loved every person she met.
She’s a bad dog owner. Period. My rescue pibble gets kind of reactive to other dogs and so when I know there will be a ton of dogs around, HE DOESN’T GO. Because I’m a responsible dog owner. It’s like this entire family only understands responsibility when it comes to who bows to who.