“Rexecuted,” the front page of the Sun blared this morning, as the paper reacted to news that two guard dogs who had provided security for Prince William at his Royal Air Force base had been euthanized since he left the military last week. According to the Sun, the two canines—a Belgian Shepherd named Brus and a German Shepherd named Blade—were put down on Friday, as the “military dog unit” came to the conclusion that these attack dogs, which had provided extra security for William during his seven years of service, could not be “redeployed or placed with a family.” Blade, nine and a half years old, was said to have spine and hip issues; Brus, seven and a half years old, was plagued by behavioral problems, meaning he did not “react well” to other animals.

According to the Sun’s source, the dogs were “in a two-dog section set up specifically to protect William,” and the twosome would “[patrol] the station to protect military personnel, equipment and facilities.” The unit was deactivated after Prince William’s time in the Air Force came to a close.

But a Ministry of Defense spokesman stressed to the Daily Mail that this “timing [of the dog’s deaths] was coincidental,” as it is the department’s policy to “re-home all military working dogs at the end of their service life wherever practicable.” The Mail also quoted a R.A.F. source who downplayed the specific connection these dogs had with William, explaining they were not “sole protection” for the prince and provided “extra security at the base” for everyone stationed there.

No word from Prince William yet on Brus and Blade’s demise, but one imagines—as someone who listens to animal noises on his iPhone to relax and has stressed his commitment to animal conservation again and again—this might not be soothing news for the new father.