Does Squashy the Dog Die in A Thousand Blows?

‘A Thousand Blows’ tells the story of a group of people in the East End of London during the 1880s. The show mainly centers on the enigmatic Forty Elephants, a gang of all-female thieves led by their adept boss, Mary Carr. As Mary starts planning a daring mission to rob the upper echelons of Victorian society, she is put into direct contact with a number of influential people who hold sway in the Queen’s court, like Lord Lonsdale. Mary sends out one of her girls to stake out Lonsdale’s estate and family to figure out the exact details needed to pull off a meticulous heist. However, during these infiltration missions, which Alice Diamond carries out, we learn that Lonsdale’s wife, Lady Grace Lonsdale, is the owner of a beautiful dog named Squashy, who makes a prominent impression despite his small screentime. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Squashy the Dog is Incidental to Mary’s Heist

Although the story of ‘A Thousand Blows’ often puts several characters in danger, Squashy the Dog remains safe from the various machinations unfolding around it. The dog is introduced to the audience when Alice attends Lady Grace Lonsdale in her bedroom chamber. Through the scene, it becomes evident that Lady Grace is neglected by her husband and feels unappreciated within the household. This allows Alice to gain her confidence, which is pivotal to the heist’s planning process. She is also shown to be friendly with Squashy, who goes towards Alice to get some treats. The dog is clearly well taken care of, especially as it is part of the British aristocracy and Lady Grace’s only companion within the household, helping her thwart her loneliness.

Intriguingly, Grace puts a lot of trust in Squashy. During an exchange, she tells Alice that Squashy never trusts anyone unless they have a good character. As such, she believes that Alice is someone of upstanding quality, considering how much the canine trusts the girl. Still, the relationship between Grace and Alice is one of Lady and maidservant, denoting the class difference between the pair. Therefore, even if they have a closer bond, they are incapable of ever genuinely becoming friends because of the stringent barriers established by the Victorian class system. Instead, Alice uses Grace to carry out her mission and report to Mary at the Blue Coat Boy. Her ability to obtain essential letters from Lady Grace proves to be vital and eventually lands her a spot in the Forty Elephants as she desires.

Meanwhile, Squashy the Dog likely continues its day-to-day existence with the Lonsdale family, particularly under Lady Grace’s stewardship. The dog’s inclusion plays a specific purpose within the narrative, which, as mentioned above, is meant to help Lady Grace trust Alice as a helper. However, the dog is never threatened by Mary’s plans, as they mostly revolve around robbing a prized gift sent over by the Queen. Instead, it leads a quiet life free from the trappings of human politics and complex plans.