Share

France gets First Dog

Paris - In keeping with time-honoured French presidential tradition, Emmanuel Macron has given the country a First Dog.

The 39-year-old president and his wife Brigitte adopted a black Labrador-griffon mix at the weekend, which they have named Nemo after the captain in Jules Verne's science fiction classic, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea.

Nemo - who is aged between one and two and was adopted from a shelter for abandoned dogs - was glimpsed on Monday scampering around the Elysee Palace in a red collar, under the watchful eye of footmen in frock coats.

Every post-war French president has had a dog, who has the run of the palace's expansive gardens.

Most have picked a Labrador, though World War II hero Charles de Gaulle had a pint-sized corgi - a gift from Britain's Queen Elizabeth.

Nemo succeeds Philae, a Labrador named after the European Space Agency's comet lander that was gifted to ex-president Francois Hollande as a puppy by Montreal-based French war veterans.

Across the Atlantic, torrents of ink were spilt on ex-president Barack Obama's pet dogs Bo and Sunny.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 425 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 600 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.92
+0.1%
Rand - Pound
23.88
+0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.39
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
+1.3%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE