Prince William and Kate Middleton slammed by PETA in brutal statement over his birthday portrait

Prince William and Kate Middleton have been labeled as 'staggeringly out of touch' by the animal rights organization PETA after a recent photo featuring their dog's puppies was released.

Last week, the Princess of Wales shared a charming photo of her husband relaxing in a field with their English Cocker Spaniel, Orla, along with three of her dog's puppies.

These adorable pups were reportedly born in May, and William's birthday portrait gives royal fans their first glimpse of the delightful animals.

In the caption of the Instagram photo, Kate wrote: "Happy birthday! Love C, G, C, L, Orla and the puppies!"

Enthusiastic followers commented: "My heart just exploded. Happy Birthday!" and: "What a joyful photo. Happy birthday to HRH Prince William."

However, not everyone was charmed by the photo, as PETA released a harsh statement criticizing the couple.

Prince William and Kate Middleton have been harshly criticized by PETA (ANDY BARR / Getty Images)

The organization accused them of ‘producing a litter’ instead of adopting.

PETA’s Vice President of Programmes, Elisa Allen, stated: “The Prince and Princess of Wales should be aware that shelters here and globally are overflowing with puppies in need of a loving home, and that producing a litter during this animal homelessness crisis is incredibly out of touch.

"If William is to lead, he might take a lesson from King Charles III and Queen Camilla, who have chosen to adopt from a shelter instead of adding to the problem.”

The couple, who have yet to publicly respond to these comments, welcomed Orla into their family in 2020 after their first dog Lupo passed away unexpectedly.

Lupo was a wedding gift from The Princess of Wales' brother, James Middleton.

The Instagram snap shows Prince William enjoying time with Orla and her pups (Instagram/princeandprincessofwales)

It remains unknown how many of Orla’s puppies the Prince and Princess of Wales plan to keep, though some reports suggest it might be just one.

Meanwhile, The King and Camilla decided to adopt back in February, which PETA referenced in their statement.

They adopted a Jack Russell terrier named Moley, four months after losing their last beloved rescue dog, Beth, who was adopted in 2011.

Confirming the news at the time, London-based animal rescue centre Battersea released a statement about the new puppy.

They told The Daily Mail: "We’re pleased to confirm that Battersea has recently rehomed an 8-week-old Jack Russell terrier cross female puppy, named Moley, to our Patron, Her Majesty The Queen.

"The Queen has long supported Battersea’s work and has previously rehomed two rescue dogs from our charity."

A representative for the Prince and Princess of Wales declined to comment when contacted by Tyla.

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