The Animals Of World Political Leaders
Having a pet means, among other things, showing him unconditional love. And some of the most influential people on the planet have not hesitated to do so publicly. Find out about the animals of political leaders and their history in this article.
The animals of political leaders – great business card
Living with an animal every day, as we know, offers numerous benefits at all levels. One of these is the affection that they offer us and that we certainly know how to reciprocate. When this is transferred to the public world of politics, it can become a powerful weapon to one’s advantage.
The mere fact that a political leader is portrayed with their pet conveys a feeling of closeness and humanity. Such a situation is certainly a useful tool for the staff and the election bell of politicians.
However, in addition to mere media influence, seeing and knowing the animals of political leaders shows us that love for our animal friends knows no borders or ideologies.
Animals of Italian political leaders
In most cases, political leaders show a preference for cats or dogs. The first to be photographed with his four-legged friend was Massimo D’Alema, who had himself photographed with the Labrador Lulu at the beginning of 2000.
“Today almost all Italian politicians own animals, but they protect them with a certain secrecy,” explains Carola Vai, author of In politics if you want a friend buy a dog. Silvio Berlusconi considers dogs and cats to be an integral part of his family and Giorgio Merlo has a cocker «which is missing only the word».
Exceptions are Claudio Scajola, who prefers cats “because they are less pimps”, and Walter Veltroni, owner of Clio, who claims to have learned the value of autonomy from cats.
Dogs and cats in world politics
Let’s now go beyond the Italian borders to discover the animals of world political leaders. The first example can be found in France, where on several occasions we have seen the current president Macron with Nemo.
The new inhabitant of the Elysée, who was adopted by the French president in 2017, is a cross between a black Labrador and a Griffon. He is perfectly integrated into the political environment and has even accompanied Macron in some official acts. Nemo is the latest in a long tradition that unites French presidents with Labradors.
If there is an avowed lover of animals, it is Russian President Vladimir Putin. In addition to having demonstrated his commitment to animals and nature on more than one occasion, Putin has been photographed several times together with his two dogs: Yume and Buffy. The former is an Akita Inu dog, originally from Japan, while Buffy is a Bulgarian Shepherd Dog.
We are now talking about an animal which, although not strictly domestic, has been in one of the most representative offices of the government for several years now. We refer to Larry, the tabby cat who has lived in Downing Street since 2011, the residence of the British ministers.
This cute feline arrived with former Prime Minister David Cameron and currently holds the official title of Chief Mouser or Rat Hunter. Larry’s popularity is such that he has his own Twitter profile.
United States, birthplace of iconic animals
The United States of America is undoubtedly the quintessential country with a long tradition of politicians and pets. Virtually all presidents of the White House have had illustrious animals. By Theodor Roosevelt, who is said to have had up to 26 animals.
One of the most iconic four-legged friends is the Scottish Terrier Fala (in the image that opens this article), who accompanied President Franklin D. Roosevelt. His image was so important that it is currently the only animal to have been immortalized in the form of a statue, together with its master.
In recent history we find Bo and Sunny, the famous water dogs of the Obama family; or Barney and Miss Beazley, former President George W. Bush’s two Scottish Terriers.
