When thinking of prominent British pets, Queen Elizabeth II’s Corgis probably come to mind first. And then there’s Larry the cat. He’s seen a revolving door of Prime Ministers since moving into 10 Downing Street in 2011. He’s cared for by the Downing Street staff rather than having any Prime Minister as his parent.
But many Prime Ministers have had pets of their own, too. Former PM Boris Johnson is a dog dad to Dilyn, a Jack Russell mix, and yesterday (Oct. 31) new PM Rishi Sunak’s dog made her first appearance outside Number 10.
A New Pup at Number Ten
Fox red Labrador Retriever Nova, the British counterpoint to Joe Biden’s German Shepherd Commander, was joined outside the iconic house by Sunak, his wife Akshata Murty, and their daughters Anoushka and Krishna.
The pooch was spotted putting a £20 note into a Poppy Appeal tin, raising money for the Royal British Legion.
Nova is the youngest member of the family – Sunak announced her arrival in June last year, posting a picture of the dog sitting on his knee to Twitter. Before moving into Number 10, she spent time at Number 11 next door. She enjoyed roast chicken and sleeping in her dad’s red box while he was Chancellor of the Exchequer.
From Dilyn to Nova
Previous Prime Minister Liz Truss wasn’t thought to have any pets. But when Johnson was in the role, his dog Dilyn often made the news. The Friends of Animals Wales shelter rescued the canine when he was a puppy, after he was born with a misaligned jaw to a breeder in South Wales.
Johnson would take the dog for a walk in the garden of Number 10 each morning, and former chancellor Sajid Javid joked that he’d have to watch out for the canine as he displayed “amorous intentions” toward his dog Bailey, a Cavapoo.
