Patty, now 61, is the granddaughter of William Randolph Hearst, once one of the richest and most powerful men in the world.
At age 19, she was kidnapped by a group of domestic terrorists in California, known as the Symbionese Liberation Army.
She was a student at the University of California at Berkeley at the time.
A news report said: ‘Two black men were reported to have broken into the apartment, carried her off half naked, and thrust her into the boot of a car.’
Her fiancé was badly beaten and the kidnappers fired shots at those who tried to help.
In a memoir released a decade go, Patty said she was kept blindfolded and raped.
After two months, a tape was released, in which she could be heard saying that she had joined her captors, and before long, she was seen on video, taking part in armed hold-ups and bank robberies.
Patty Hearst before her kidnapping in 1973. Photo: Getty
After two years with the group, she was arrested, and upon arrest, described herself as an urban guerilla.
The case is considered one of the best examples of what is now known as Stockholm Syndrome: where people come to sympathize with their captors, and act strangely, under duress.
While the judge at Patty’s trial showed little mercy – she served two years in prison – Patty has since received a full pardon, from former president Bill Clinton.
Patty is now a generous philanthropist, with an interest in animal welfare and AIDS prevention.
Her grandfather’s castle, Hearst Castle, is today one of California’s most famous tourist attractions.
She told AP at the dog show: ‘People move on .. I have grown daughters and granddaughters and other things that normal people have.’
Patty was listed on the Westminster forms as Patricia Shaw. She’s one of Rocket’s three co-owners.
