Has Kate Middleton’s Dog Lupo Been Kicked to the Curb?

Kate Middleton's dog Lupo was sitting on top of the world as recently as this past August, as the cocker spaniel-speculated to be a 2011 Christmas present to Kate from her parents-was included in one of the two official photographs released after Prince George's birth. Tongue drooping in a manner that would make Miley Cyrus proud, Lupo looks ebullient and proud, despite suddenly being forced to share the spotlight with the infant prince. ("He's coping all right, actually," William said of Lupo, after George's birth.)

But, as of late, Lupo's fate as the fourth member of the family appears less certain. The first signs of trouble emerged when Lupo was unceremoniously disinvited from the Queen's Christmas festivities at Sandringham, purportedly "amid fears he could upset the royal corgis." (That sounds like about an "Oh, I've got a stomach bug, can't make dinner"-level excuse to us.)

And it appears Lupo-who spent the holidays wich Michael and Carole Middleton-has not returned to Kensington Palace yet, as James Middleton was recently spotted walking Lupo through the streets of London. James's girlfriend, Donna Air (who really should think about getting into the pop-music game with that name), was also seen roaming in West London with Lupo in tow. This has led to British tabloids asking whether the dog has been excommunicated due to difficulties getting along with George; the Daily Beast even went as far to ask in its headline, "Is Lupo Jealous of George?"

 
You've got to feel for Lupo. He's probably staying up late, slouched on James Middleton's pull-out couch, Googling "kate middleton shiny hair," drinking red wine, and replaying over and over in his head the morning he scratched George's arm: he had just been trying to initiate a secret handshake with the prince, he hadn't meant any harm! If only they could understand him . . .