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Alain Delon’s wish that his pet dog be put down and buried with him has been denied by his children after uproar from animal rights activists.
The Plein Soleil actor, who died aged 88 on Sunday (18 August), had requested his 10-year-old Belgian Malinois, called Loubo, be put down and placed in his grave alongside him in the cemetery in his village of Douchy in Loiret.
Following Delon’s death, campaigners expressed horror that Loubo would be killed, and offered to find the Belgian Malinois a new home instead. The Brigitte Bardot Foundation later announced that Delon’s daughter Anouchka had confirmed their family would keep Loubo.
A foundation spokesperson said: “I’ve just had Anouchka Delon on the phone and she has told me that Loubo is part of the family and will be kept. The dog will not be put down.”
France’s equivalent of the RSPCA, The SPA, was among numerous animal rights organisations to condemn Delon’s wish to kill his dog, writing: “The life of an animal should not depend on that of a human. The SPA is happy to take his dog and find it a family.”
In France, there is no law stopping pet owners from putting down their animals when they die. However, individual vets can decide whether or not to carry out the wishes of the deceased.
Delon adopted Loubo from a rehoming centre in 2014. The Le Samouraï star kept the remains of at least 35 of his dogs on the grounds of his home in La Brûlerie, 85 miles south-east of Paris, where he had lived since the early Seventies.
His three children, Anthony, 59, Anouchka, 33, and Alain-Fabien, 30 announced the death of their father in La Brûlerie on Sunday and included a reference to Loubo in the statement.
“Alain-Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony, as well as Loubo, are deeply saddened to announce the passing of their father,” their announcement read.
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Back in 2018 Delon, who had been in poor health in recent years and suffered a stroke in 2019, told Paris Match that Loubo was his “end of life dog”.
“I’ve had 50 dogs in my life, but I have a special relationship with this one,” he said. “He misses me when I’m not there.”
Delon continued: “If I die before him, I’ll ask the vet to take us away together. He’ll put him to sleep in my arms. I’d rather do that than know that he’ll let himself die on my grave with so much suffering.”
