Anna Duggar's Life Has Gone To The Dogs While Josh Does Time

This article contains references to child sexual abuse.

Josh and Anna Duggar seemed to have the perfect life. The early seasons of TLC's "19 Kids & Counting" featured their courtship, wedding, and the births of four of their children. Then their bliss was shattered several times over as Josh's horrendous secret life was revealed. In addition to being exposed as a user of the Ashley Madison cheating website, he also had a history of child molestation and a computer full of child sexual abuse images. That last crime finally resulted in the arrest of the oldest Duggar sibling and a highly publicized trial which ended in a conviction. 

It was another devastating blow for Anna: Not only was Josh being sent to a federal prison in Texas for 12 years, but they'd also had to sell their house at a considerable loss to pay their expenses, leaving her homeless. To top it off, Anna had just given birth to their seventh child.  

With Josh out of the picture, Anna has turned to a new venture to help support her family. Going by the dates on the business's Instagram page, Anna has been breeding and selling Golden retriever puppies since June 2024. "Life is better with a #goldenretriever pup by your side!" the bio declares. Video clips show the playful dogs romping in a huge grassy field that could certainly be part of the 97-acre Arkansas compound owned by her father-in-law Jim Bob Duggar. Several of the posts feature children playing with or holding the puppies; though their faces don't show, the kids' images suggest they might be 15-year-old Mackynzie, 11-year-old Marcus, and 9-year-old Meredith.

Anna Duggar's living situation is complicated, to say the least. Like her famous in-laws, she was raised with the belief that a woman's highest calling is marriage and motherhood, and so she and Josh Duggar wed in 2008, shortly after she turned 20, and had their first baby a year later. Having a limited education and no job training put Anna at a disadvantage when she was suddenly left to raise her large family alone. Josh's parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, arranged for their daughter-in-law and grandkids to live in a forbidding-looking converted warehouse on their property in Tontitown, Arkansas. Reportedly, the warehouse isn't even zoned for residential use. 

Divorce is off the table for Anna. Even if her religion didn't frown on it, she reportedly continues to believe Josh is innocent of the crimes. So while she waits for her husband's release in 2032 — by which time their two oldest children will be adults — the faithful Duggar wife is doing the best she can to maintain a stable family life. TMZ caught a glimpse of Anna and a friend walking to her kids' school, where a basketball game was taking place. She seemed encouragingly upbeat, despite her personal woes. More surprisingly, though, was the revelation that she's gone against the Duggar dress code by wearing jeans. Jana, Jill, Jinger, Jessa, and Joy Duggar, her adult sisters-in-law, also gave up the skirts-only policy when they moved out of their parents' house.

Not much is known about Anna's dog breeding business at this point; the website is still under construction as of this writing. But while it suits her need to make money from home, one wonders why she chose this particular side hustle. Feeding and cleaning up after seven children is challenging enough. Add a houseful of active (but cute!) Goldens to the mix, and this mom has her work cut out for her!

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.