Anne's dog wins reprieve

Princess Anne's killer bull terrier Florence will be forced to receive training to control her aggressive streak after it emerged she had bitten a palace maid.

The attack on the 50-year-old royal maid came only a week after Florence killed one of the Queen's favourite corgis.

Buckingham Palace today said the terrier will not be put down and will instead undergo anti-aggression treatment, but there are bound to be calls in some quarters for the animal to be destroyed.

It is the latest incident involving Anne's terriers - one of whom, Dottie, bit two boys in Windsor Great Park last year.

The maid, named only as Ruby, was one of four women who had gone to clean the princess's rooms on the Sandringham estate last Saturday.

Florence, who had killed the Queen's corgi Pharos five days earlier, was confined to the rooms along with Dottie. Both dogs were allowed out for walks only when accompanied by Anne.

When the maids entered the room the dogs started yelping and growling, sending the women running for the door.

However, Florence reached Ruby and sank her teeth into her leg, below the knee, drawing blood. Ruby, who has worked for the Queen for 20 years and is known as a devoted servant, bandaged her wound before it was treated by a doctor, who gave her an anti-tetanus jab. She did not receive hospital treatment.

A palace source told a newspaper: "The poor maid was in agony and screaming her head off. There was a lot of blood."

Anne had been attending a meal with other members of the royal family when the incident took place. They were said by a palace spokesman to be "very concerned". Other servants are now said to be terrified about going near the dogs.

It is understood that Ruby was planning to resign over the attack, but a courtier said she was back at work and had even begged for Florence not to be put down.

He said: "This was a minor incident and the housemaid has expressed her wish that the dog is not destroyed. She is a country person who herself owns dogs and does not wish anything to happen to Florence. There is no question at this stage of having Florence put down, but she will be retrained as Dottie was."

But a Sandringham source said: "To savage the Queen's most cherished corgi and attack one of her longest-serving housemaids in five days must mean that Florence has to be put down. She is a highly dangerous dog who cannot be trusted."

Opinion is split among palace officials as to the best course of action. Those who want Florence to undergo anti-aggression treatment, which Dottie received after the Windsor Great Park attack, appear to have won the argument.

Surrey-based animal psychologist Dr Roger Mugford rehabilitated Dottie using a system of reward and punishments, including anti-bark collars and remote-controlled spray devices.