People are upset over this cute new royal family photo

Happy birthday, Prince George!

His Royal Highness turns three years old today, and his family is marking the occasion with a tea party in the countryside. Isn’t that exactly how you imagined the royals would celebrate?

It may sound a bit grown-up for a preschooler, but the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will no doubt make sure there’s plenty of kid-friendly fun on the agenda for George, his little sister Charlotte and their friends. “If there is a bouncy castle, Kate will be on it, I’m sure,” says Sarah Dixon, a maternity nurse who has worked with families in the royals’ circle.

The royal family also released a new series of portraits by photographer Matt Porteus of the little Prince today, and they’re just as adorable as ever.

“The Duke and Duchess hope that people will enjoy seeing these new photographs. They would like to thank everyone for all the lovely messages they have received as Prince George celebrates his third birthday,” reads a statement accompanying the photos, which show the birthday boy sitting on a swing, taking a fashionable stroll and sharing an ice cream cone with the family’s dog, Lupo.

Unfortunately, not everybody enjoyed the new photos – particularly the one that co-stars the family pet.

Matt Porteous /REX/Shutterstock

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals issued a statement in response to the sweet snapshots that reads: “It is lovely that Prince George is trying to help keep his family dog, Lupo, cool in these high temperatures. We would advise people to be cautious when giving their dogs food meant for human consumption as some items, like chocolate, can be highly toxic to dogs and dairy items can be difficult for them to digest.”

The warning has sparked lengthy debate and discussion on Twitter, of course – and even inspired a new hashtag: #LupoGate.

I have one question: Have you ever tried to keep human food away from the dog when you have little kids in the house? It’s impossible.

When my kid was around a year old, the highlight of her day was dropping, or hurling, fistfuls of food from her high chair. It was the highlight of our dog Emma’s day, too. She was like a vacuum cleaner on four legs, slurping up every last shred of grated cheese, every buttered spaghetti noodle. When she finally busted free of her high chair, she’d just feed the dog directly, sneakily slipping her unwanted crusts and veggies (the latter of which our pup also refused). That’s on top of all of the tipped over bowls of Goldfish crackers and half-eaten Bear Paws she managed to inhale over the years.

I understand where the RSPCA is coming from, and am all for looking out for our furry family members. I think we can skip calling out the birthday boy on this one, though. It’s a cute moment, not a controversy.

Does your family have a dog?

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