Things got a bit more paw-litical on Thursday, November 17 when Moldovan President Maia Sandu’s rescue dog bit Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen’s hand during his visit to the capital of Moldova, Chişinău.
The incident reportedly occurred while the two leaders were strolling in the presidential residence’s courtyard.
The Moldovan leader then brought her rescue dog, named Codrut, to a photo-op with Van der Bellen and Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar, who was also with them.
In a video caught by the media, the Austrian President can be seen approaching Sandu and Codrut, reaching down, and trying to pet the pooch.
However, Codrut lunged at him and snapped at Van der Bellen’s right hand. According to Reuters, Sandu apologized in English and explained that the pooch had become frightened by the large number of people nearby.
According to Politico, Sandu adopted Codrut in early 2023 after the dog was hit by a car that resulted in one of its leg being amputated.
In an Instagram post, Sandu wrote, “Codruț has been part of our team at the Presidency for about 7 months, after he was found in the street hit by a car. Unfortunately, we were not able to save his paw, but after a few months of treatment, he is now running happily on 3 legs.”