The pets of world leaders: from shelter dogs to Internet stars

Biden's shelter dog

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Newly elected US President Joe Biden has never tried to hide his opinions on pets. Last year, he shared one on Twitter:

"Some Americans celebrate National Cat Day, others National Dog Day. President Trump celebrates neither. It says a lot. It's time we put a pet back in the White House."

It will come as no surprise that it won't be only Biden's wife moving to the White House along with him in January. They will be accompanied by two German Shepherds: Champ (12 years) and Major (2 years). By the way, animal protectors have every reason to be pleased by this: Major will be the first dog living in the White House to come from a shelter.

The tradition of dogs in the White House dates back to George Washington, and 30 of the total 45 presidents adhered to it. Trump was the only one in the last century who didn't bring a four-legged companion into office.

Putin is an enthusiastic dog owner

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Russian President Vladimir Putin is also an enthusiastic dog owner. He currently owns four dogs who live in his residence in Moscow. There is a tradition according to which world leaders give Putin puppies when they visit. The latest addition to Putin's pack is a Sharplanin Shepherd Dog, a gift he received from the Serbian president in 2019.

Another of his dogs, akita inu, arrived in Russia from Japan in 2012. Putin's Bulgarian Shepherd Dog was given to him by the Bulgarian Prime Minister in 2010. But the Central Asian shepherd dog that Putin got from the Turkmen president in 2017 remians an all-time favorite on the Internet.

Dog Queen Elizabeth II.

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Queen Elizabeth II. has been very fond of corgis since she was a small child. Since since her accession to the throne in 1952, she had more than 30 corgis. Between the years 1933 and 2018, there was always at least one corgi living in the Buckingham Palace. However, the Queen has more than enough space in her heart for other dog breeds. In 2007 she had five corgis, five cocker spaniels and five dorgies (a cross between a dachshund and a corgi) at the same time.

In 2015, news appeared that the queen had stopped buying dogs so that she wouldn't leave any pets behind in the event of her death. Her last corgi, Willow, died in April 2018, but she still has two dorgies to keep her company.

Macron and his submarine captain

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French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte own a black Labrador crossbreed called Nemo. How did the dog get to the Elysee Palace? In 2017, Brigitte Macron visited a shelter with the understanding that the presidential couple would like to adopt a dog that meets certain conditions. And based on those conditions, they got Nemo. Or, actually, Marino - the president renamed the dog after the famous Captain Nemo from his favorite book by Jules Verne.

Since August 28, 2017, Nemo has been living in the Presidential Palace. During his first day, he welcomed Chadian President Idriss Déba together with his owner.

Finnish President Niinistö's internet star

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Finnish president Sauli Väinämö Niinistö is also a dog person. However, he has a more extravagant taste than all the world leaders promoting shepherds and Labradors. He keeps a Boston Terrier called Lennu at his residence. In 2017, Lennu became the star of the Internet thanks to her iconic smile, when journalist Kelly Weill published his photos.

Zeman's Darcy

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But we don't have to look too far! Even Czech President Miloš Zeman has his own four-legged friend. His dog Darcy is a golden retriever. He was only ten weeks old when the presidential couple bought him. They claim to have chosen the name Darcy as a reference to a character from the book Pride and Prejudice.

Zeman's predecessor, Václav Havel, was a dog owner too. He had a schnauzer called Ďula. After his marriage to Dagmar Havlová, a boxer named Sugar also joined his household. Unfortunately, the dogs couldn't stand each other and Ďula had to go.

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