Family of late French actor refuse his final wish to have his dog euthanised

He wanted his beloved pet to be buried beside him

Delon passed away aged 88 on Sunday, his family confirmed in a statement sharing their 'sadness'.

“Alain-Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony, as well as Loubo, are deeply saddened to announce the passing of their father,” the statement read.

Anthony, 59, Anouchka, 33, and Alain-Fabien, 30, are the actor's three children, while Loubo was Delon's beloved dog.

“He’s my end of life dog … I love him like a child,” he previously told Paris Match. “I’ve had 50 dogs in my life, but I have a special relationship with this one. He misses me when I’m not there.”

He continued: “If I die before him, I’ll ask the vet to take us away together. 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.”

However, Delon's wishes caused outrage among animal rights activists, with the animal association 30 Million Friends condemning the idea of euthanising a healthy dog.

“If he had to go before Loubo, his faithful malinois, and no one – which I doubt – was in a position to take care of him, the 30 Million Friends Foundation would obviously take on the task of finding someone trustworthy to ensure his wellbeing,” the president of the foundation, Reha Hutin, said at the time.

However, earlier this week, it was confirmed that Delon's family were not going ahead with his wishes.

The Brigitte Bardot Foundation confirmed Delon’s daughter Anouchka said they were not getting Loubo put down.

“I’ve just had Anouchka Delon on the phone and she has told me that Loubo is part of the family and will be kept. The dog will not be put down,” the president of the foundation said.