Putin and the animals

Vladimir Putin, Russia's incumbent Prime Minister, owns a Labrador dog named Koni. The dog’s full name is Koni Palgrave. The dog was born in 1999 and was raised at a cynological center of Russia’s EMERCOM. The dog’s mother is named Henrietta Bush, whereas her father’s name is Alkor Ros Bradford. Putin received the puppy as a gift from EMERCOM Minister Sergei Shoigu in 2001.

Photo: Putin and the animals

Koni has a unique sense of smell. The dog always sniffs Putin’s guests prior to all official meetings, to which the pet is allowed. The dog receives three meals a day and has a special fondness for porridge with meat.

In 2002 Putin received two goitered gazelles as a gift from the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. The two little gazelles arrived at the Moscow zoo. One of the animals died several days after, whereas the second one, which zoo employees named in Putin’s honor as Vlada, was subsequently sent to the city of Penza. Unfortunately, Vlada died in April of 2003.

Putin received another four-legged gift during his visit to the city of Kazan, the republic of Tatarstan – a mini-pony named as Chip. The tiny horse was only 57 cm tall. Putin took the pony to Sochi, where the animal was given another name – Vadik.

Toy puddles Tosya and Rodeo, as well as goat Skazka, arrived at Putin’s residence in Sochi in 2003. Putin received the snow-white goat from Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov. Afterwards, the goat was transferred to the presidential residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, the Moscow region. The latter is the home to a stepping horse from Kyrgyzstan and a chestnut stud from Bashkiria’s leader, Murtazy Rakhimov. Vadik, the dwarfish horse, also resides in the Moscow region now. The presidential residence has also become the home to a Siberian tiger. Several people and a veterinary doctor have been employed to take care of Putin’s animals.

Three Arab race horses, which Putin received from the King of Jordan, and three horses from the former head of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, were given away to the Moscow race course.