NEED TO KNOW

  • Kate Middleton and Prince William may keep one of the puppies that their dog Orla recently gave birth to, according to a new report
  • The report comes after PETA labeled the Prince and Princess of Wales’ decision to breed their cocker spaniel over adopting a shelter animal as “staggeringly out of touch”
  • PETA noted that King Charles and Queen Camilla recently adopted a dog from a shelter

Kate Middleton and Prince William may be adding a new, four-legged addition to their family.

Following news that the Prince and Princess of Wales’ dog Orla welcomed a litter of puppies, a new report claims that the family may keep one of the new pups — much to the delight of the couple’s three children: Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7.

Rebecca English of The Daily Mail recently reported: “It’s one of the reasons, I am told, that [Kate] and Prince William have decided to breed from their adored spaniel, Orla. Not only has it been something fun for the children to look forward to, but I am told they are planning to keep one of the pups.”

The report comes after PETA criticized the royal couple’s decision to breed their dog. Elisa Allen, PETA’s Vice President of Programs, said in a statement, “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.”

Kate Middleton and Prince William with their dog Orla on July 6, 2022.

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

Allen also suggested that they “take a lesson” from King Charles and Queen Camilla, who recently adopted a puppy named Moley from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. Their new pet joined the family shortly after Beth, a Jack Russell Terrier that Camilla adopted in 2011, died.

Kate and William, both 43, confirmed the arrival of the puppies with a photo released on June 21 to celebrate the Prince of Wales’ birthday. The new snap, which showed Prince William sitting on the grass with three puppies around his lap, was signed: “Love C, G, C, L, Orla and the puppies!”

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Kate Middleton and Prince William with their dog Orla on July 6, 2022.

Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty

The family was gifted Orla in 2020 by Kate’s brother, James Middleton, after his dog Luna welcomed “six little healthy pups.” Orla joined the royal household shortly before Kate and William’s dog Lupo died in November 2020. Lupo was also a black cocker spaniel they received from James as a “belated wedding present” in 2011, he wrote in his memoir Meet Ella: The Dog Who Saved My Life.

Orla has joined the family for outdoor outings such as charity polo matches, and the pup also appeared in Princess Charlotte’s birthday portraits two years in a row.

Dogs have a longstanding history with the British royal family, with the animals even appearing in royal portraits dating back to 1637.

Prince William with their dog Lupo on June 17, 2012.

Indigo/Getty

Queen Elizabeth was famously associated with corgis and dorgis (dachshund-corgi mixes that she’s credited with creating) throughout her life. She left two corgis, Sandy and Muick, behind when she died in 2022, who now live with Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson. 

“They are national icons, so every time they run chasing a squirrel, I panic,” Fergie previously told PEOPLE. “But they’re total joys, and I always think that when they bark at nothing, and there’s no squirrels in sight, I believe it’s because the Queen is passing by.”