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THE picture of loyal dog Sully lying next to the coffin of its master, former US president George H W Bush, warmed the hearts of the world.
And the ex-Republican White House resident is not the first leader to have a dedicated pet by his side. For years our top politicians have enjoyed the company of animals. JENNIFER DUNKERLEY
remembers the most famous pets in office…
LARRY THE CAT: In 2011, then-prime minister David Cameron recruited Larry, a rescue tabby, to his No10 team. Officially, Larry was Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office. Cameron explained during his final PMQs in 2016 that Larry was a civil servant and not personal property, so wouldn’t leave Downing Street after the change in premier. He remains there today. Labour even confirmed that Larry would remain in his home should they ever take charge.
GLADSTONE: Downing Street is in fact home to five cats. Gladstone (an Instagram star thanks to his natty bow ties) lives at the Treasury. Palmerston (aka @ DiploMog) miaows for the Foreign Office. The Cabinet Office boasts two: Evie and Ossie.
MUNGO AND BASIL: The Right Honourable Moggies for Chatham and Kent are more famous than their owner, Tory MP Tracey Crouch, thanks to their Facebook accounts.
EL GATO: Meaning “The Cat” in Spanish, this is the beloved feline of Jeremy Corbyn. The Labour leader said: “El Gato is, like all cats, fairly individual. But he’s also formed a great friendship with a stray cat so there are socialist tendencies in Gato’s character. He’s allowing a stray cat to share his food.”
CRONUS: Forget four legs. Why not have eight? This was the tarantula spider kept on the desk of Chief Whip Gavin Williamson. Named after a Greek god who ate his own children, Cronus was a fixture on Williamson’s desk while he was Tory chief whip and it moved with him to the MoD building on Whitehall. LENNU: Finnish President Sauli Niinistö’s Boston terrier is melting hearts globally ever since photos were posted on social media in February 2017. BO: This is former US president Barack Obama’s loyal mutt, a Portuguese water dog. YUME AND BUFFY: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin is also a big canine fan. His big pooches are Yume the akita and a Bulgarian shepherd dog called Buffy.
BUDDY AND SOCKS: Who says cats and dogs can’t live together? Former Democrat US president Bill Clinton lives with his labrador retriever Buddy and Socks the cat.
NEMO: French President Emmanuel Macron’s black labrador-griffin cross was once caught peeing on a gilded fireplace in the Elysee Palace behind a meeting of junior ministers.
HORATIO NELSON: This cat was named after the famous naval hero and lived at 10 Downing Street during Sir Winston Churchill’s time in office.