Tom Parker Bowles, the son of Queen Camilla and stepson of King Charles, has recounted a terrifying attack on his Jack Russell terrier, Maud, by a 10-stone mastiff in Kensington, west London. The food writer, 50, said 'all hell broke loose' when the large dog seized his tiny terrier, which weighs less than one stone, during a walk earlier this month.
In a piece for the Daily Mail, Parker Bowles described how the mastiff 'had his jaws locked deep into my tiny, less-than-one-stone terrier, who was shrieking with terror.' He said 'pure instinct took over' and he 'launched myself on to the dog' to try to free Maud. A bystander reportedly struck the mastiff with a walking stick, and after about 30 seconds, the dog loosened its grip.
Maud suffered serious injuries requiring two operations and may have psychological scars. Parker Bowles said he does not want the mastiff put down or to press charges, but he called for large, powerful dogs to be muzzled in public. 'I'd much rather put the responsibility on the owner,' he wrote.
The attack comes amid a rise in dog attacks across the UK. Police data showed a 163% increase in attacks in Cleveland between 2019 and 2024. Parker Bowles expressed concern about the potential for such attacks on children, referencing a case where a girl was severely injured by a pack of dogs in Greater Manchester.
