Politics is serious business, with generally little room for light-hearted moments amidst all the murkiness of running a government and country.

However, despite how solemn most world leaders would appear to be, they tend to show a different, more tender side to themselves whenever their pets are around.

Many of these pets tend to draw just as much attention as their owners, and they are almost always a welcome sight during photo shoots and press conferences.

So, which world leaders happen to have fur babies of their own? Here are just a few famous examples of world leaders and their beloved pets.

1. Champ and Major (Joe Biden)

The 46th President of the United States happened to restore several traditions that his predecessor had discontinued. One among these is the ownership of pets in the White House.

Champ and Major are two German Shepherds that belong to the Biden household, with the latter having the honour of being the first shelter dog to live in the White House.

Apparently, Biden has an affinity for the breed, having fond memories of training them during his childhood.

Champ is the older dog of the duo, having been with the Bidens since his vice-presidency under President Barack Obama.

Major, on the other hand, has been a pet of the family since 2018, and some people suggest that his name is based on the military rank held by Biden’s late son, Beau.

2. Nemo (Emmanuel Macron)

A black Labrador Retriever-Griffon dog was born in 2015 in southern France where he was unfortunately abandoned not long after.

He was living as a shelter dog in 2017 when he was finally chanced upon and adopted by Macron’s wife that year.

Previously named Marin, the black dog was given the new name of Nemo, based on the character of Captain Nemo from Jules Verne’s novel, ‘20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’ — a favourite of Macron’s.

Since then, he has been living in the luxurious Elysee Palace, where he can occasionally be seen with his master during press conferences and meeting with other world leaders.

In 2017, during a live recording of Macron holding a meeting with several ministers, Nemo was spotted urinating on the fireplace, which led the President to say that his dog had done something “quite exceptional”.

This, of course, led to a round of laughter during what should have been a serious chat.

3. Larry (Boris Johnson)

Larry the cat, a resident of 10 Downing Street since 2011, has seen multiple prime ministers come and go during his nine lives.

This brown and white tabby is a rescue cat that was supposed to be a pet for the children of then Prime Minister, David Cameron.

According to the Downing Street website, Larry’s duties include, “greeting guests to the house, inspecting security defences, and testing antique furniture for napping quality.”

Unfortunately, it also appears that Larry’s service as the mouser of Downing Street is rather lacking, with the cat being more content with sleeping than catching mice.

After several occasions in which he failed to catch mice roaming about the residence, he has been repeatedly called “Lazy Larry” by the tabloids.

4. Yume, Buffy, Pasha and Verni (Vladimir Putin)

Say what you want about the intimidating President of Russia, but there is no denying that he is quite the animal lover.

The proud owner of four dogs, Putin has also been responsible for pushing for conservation efforts of Russia’s endangered dog species.

Pasha and Verni are gifts from the presidents of Serbia and Turkmenistan respectively, with the former being a Šarplaninac and the latter an Alabai.

Yume, on the other hand, is an Akita dog presented to Putin by Japan’s Akita Prefecture, as a gift for Russian assistance in the aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

Putin also has a male Bulgarian Shepherd called Buffy, a gift from Bulgaria. His name was chosen by a young child after a national competition.

5. Lennu (Sauli Niinisto)

While most people cannot name the President of Finland to save their lives, his dog happened to shoot to international prominence in 2017 due to several photos of him going viral.

The Boston terrier has been quite the topic of conversation in his home country, having even sat for media interviews.

However, when photos of the wrinkly-nosed dog with a lolling tongue finally hit the wider reaches of the Internet, Lennu became something of a celebrity.

A portrait of the cheekily smiling dog being chided by his master during a ceremony was reshared on Twitter 30,000 times and received almost 150,000 likes when it was posted by a reporter.

Though his appearance was not adorable enough, Lennu’s naughty behaviour often results in him inspecting gifts for his master as though they were meant for him.