When French actor Alain Delon is laid to rest, his beloved dog Loubo will not be by his side, despite the “Purple Noon” star’s wishes.
Loubo, a Belgian Shepherd that Delon once said he “loved like a child,” has dodged euthanasia after the owner’s request to be buried with his dog resurfaced and faced backlash from animal rights activists in France. Delon, known for films “Le Samouraï” and “La Piscine,” died Sunday. He was 88.
La SPA, a French organization dedicated to the protection of animals, said in a statement Monday that it condemns Delon’s wish “to euthanize his dog.”
“The life of an animal should not be conditional to a human’s,” La SPA said before adding that it would take in Loubo and find the dog a new home and family.
Delon told Paris Match in 2018 about his “special relationship” with Loubo, his “end of life dog,” according to the Guardian. Delon also detailed his plans to take Loubo with him in death.
“If I die before him, I’ll ask the vet to take us away together,” he said. “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.”
After Delon’s death, concern about Loubo’s uncertain future and potential euthanasia grew. Then the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, an animal rights organization founded by the French icon, stepped in.
“Don’t worry for Loubo,” the foundation said Monday in posts shared on social media, including Instagram.
Bardot’s organization said it received numerous messages from supporters about Loubo’s future and shared some reassuring news from Delon’s family. The foundation said Delon’s loved ones confirmed they will take care of Loubo, who “has his home and his family.”
“Loubo will of course not be euthanized,” the foundation added, mentioning Delon’s three children, Anouchka, Anthony and Alain-Fabien, who are all actors.
Over the weekend, Bardot and her foundation also paid tribute to Delon, his film legacy and his affinity for animals. “Alain understood the deep bond between man and animal,” the foundation wrote in a Sunday statement.
The missive continued: “Throughout his life, he was surrounded by his faithful four-legged companions, dogs who brought him love and comfort, and whom he loved with infinite tenderness, like Loubo, his last companion whom he left behind.”