Tom Parker Bowles, son of Queen Camilla and stepson to King Charles, courageously battled to save his dog from a 10-stone mastiff attack.
The 50 year old food writer recounted how “all hell broke loose” when the large dog spotted his tiny Jack Russell, Maud, during a walk. The mastiff broke free from its walker and attacked Maud.
Tom described the horrifying scene: “Within moments, the mastiff had his jaws locked deep into my tiny, less-than-one-stone terrier, who was shrieking with terror. Then came the most heartrending cry of pain. At this point, my memory goes rather hazy.”
“However, Tom said that “pure instinct took over” during the incident in Kensington, west London, earlier this month, leading him to “launch myself on to the dog”. The brave father of two continued: “I knew Maud would be finished if the attacker could lift its head to shake her like a rag, or crush her like a furry Twiglet.
“I launched myself on to the dog, desperately trying to undo his jaws, which were locked, vice-like, on her soft white belly.”
As chaos unfolded, crowds gathered and one man reportedly hit the dog with his walking stick. After what felt like hours to Tom, but was actually around 30 seconds, the mastiff finally released its grip, reports The Mirror.
The food critic, one of Queen Camilla’s two children, managed to free Maud, but she sustained severe injuries.
The small dog, weighing less than a stone, required two surgeries and may carry psychological trauma along with her physical wounds. Tom reported the incident to the police but doesn’t wish for the attacking dog to be euthanized.
In his piece for the Daily Mail, he stated: “I don’t want the dog who attacked Maud put down, nor do I want to press charges. Emergency vet care is not cheap, but I’m lucky that Maud is covered by Petplan – which, so far, has been incredibly efficient.
“It’s not every day one says that about an insurance company. What I do want, though, is these big, powerful and often beautiful dogs to be muzzled when out in public. Is that too much to ask?”.
“I’m certainly not a fan of knee-jerk legislation, of banning certain breeds, or having them destroyed. I’d much rather put the responsibility on the owner.”
Earlier this year, law enforcement agencies reported a significant surge in dog attacks on people throughout the UK – interactive maps highlighted the areas with the highest number of incidents.
The most substantial increase in dog attacks was recorded by Cleveland Police, where they skyrocketed by a staggering 163% between 2019 and 2024.
Tom’s ordeal has left him apprehensive about the potential danger large dogs pose to small children, a fear validated by recent incidents.
“Maud is now on the mend, I hope, though not totally out of the woods yet. There is a very real prospect of further surgery,” Tom, a father of two himself, shared in his column for the Daily Mail.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.the-express.com ’
