The family of the late Alain Delon have defied the French actor’s dying wish for his pet dog to be euthanised and buried alongside him.
The 88-year-old star, who died on Sunday, asked that upon his death, his 10-year-old Belgian Malinois, called Loubo, be humanely killed and laid alongside him in his village cemetery of Douchy.
However, the request was met with dismay from animal rights activists across France, who condemned the request and offered to find the dog a new home instead.
On Tuesday, the Brigitte Bardot Foundation announced that Delon’s daughter Anouchka said the dog would now stay with the family.
“Loubo will, of course, not be euthanised,” the French animal charity said on X, formerly Twitter. “’He has his home and his family’, confirmed the actor’s relatives who will take care of him,” it added.
Delon was one of France’s most celebrated actors, often described as “the French Sinatra” for his ravishing good looks.