A new video starring the rescue dog of French president Emmanuel Macron is urging citizens to be responsible pet owners.
Nemo, a Labrador-Griffon cross looks straight into the camera and the caption appears.
“My story begins with abandonment… like me, 100,000 animals are abandoned every year”
“So, at Christmas, adopt them. But adopt with awareness!”
“Your pet is part of your family – he’s counting on you”.
Nemo first appeared alongside Macron in August 2017, continuing a tradition of French presidents having a “first dog”.
Macron and his wife Brigitte reportedly bought him from an animal rescue centre for €250.
France’s parliament will debate a pet adoption bill to combat animal cruelty in January, the text adds, envisaging roughly 20 million euros ($24 million) to improve animal rescue centres.
“Mistreatment will be more heavily punished,” Nemo says in the video.
Nemo was named after Captain Nemo of the Nautilus submarine in the Jules Verne classic “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea” — reportedly among Macron’s favourite novels — and regularly greets foreign leaders with the president.
Animal rescue centres around the world have reported sky-rocketing numbers of adoptions and fostering during the coronavirus pandemic as millions spend more time at home.
Macron has COVID-19 and is currently quarantining at home in Paris.
