Don't worry, Alain Delon's family will not fulfill his request to kill his dog

Here’s a bit of news almost as insane as the one-woman plot to steal Graceland from the Presley family last week. After outrage from animal rights activists and presumably anyone who caught wind of the issue and also possessed a working human brain, the family of the late French actor Alain Delon confirmed that they would spare the life of his beloved dog, whom he asked to be buried with whenever he died. No, you’re not reading a plot ripped out of a nineteenth century novel. Yes, the dog is currently totally fine. Thank goodness.

This comes from The Guardian, which reported today that the pet—a healthy, 10-year-old Belgian malinois called Loubo—was safe. “I’ve just had (Alain’s daughter) 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,” a spokesperson from French animal rescue group the Brigitte Bardot Foundation told the outlet. 

This all arose from an interview Delon gave to Paris Match in 2018, in which he expressed his love for Loubo in a particularly upsetting way. “He’s my end of life dog… I love him like a child,” the actor said. “I’ve had 50 dogs in my life, but I have a special relationship with this one. He misses me when I’m not there.” He added: “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.”

It’s unclear whether this was a serious request or just an oddly worded expression of love and fear from Delon. Either way, multiple animal rights organizations took the late leading man at his word, expressing concern and offering their help in finding Loubo a suitable new family.

Thankfully, however, it sounds like Malinois already has a loving home right where he is. Delon’s children included him in the announcement of their father’s death, which read, “Alain-Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony, as well as Loubo, are deeply saddened to announce the passing of their father.” Additionally, Anouchka has posted multiple photos of the dog on her Instagram, with more heart emojis than anyone planning an unethical euthanasia would be expected to use. “Wherever there’s an unfortunate person, God sends a dog,” she wrote in one caption, translated from French by The Guardian. “Thank you, Loubo, for being there for your master.”

 

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