After the demise of Tytus, enter Lula as Poland’s First Dog in the Presidential Palace.

Her name is Lula, but she isn’t a show dog. She is white with red markings, short-legged and slightly overweight. Lula looks like a cross between Jack Russell Terrier and Corgi, but she is a mongrel. This cute, well-mannered and even tempered dog has a chance to play first fiddle now that the Scottish terrier Tytus, which used to perform the role of First Dog, has passed away.  

Lula is an abandoned dog. President Lech Kaczynski found her at a petrol station and took her home. Yesterday, she had her first public appearance, together with the President and the First Lady Maria Kaczynska, looking confident and alert and clearly at ease in the media spotlight.  

The presidential couple has one more pet, Rudolf Valentino,  who is a cat. But he is unlikely to upstage Lula at least at official ceremonies. Hopefully, Lula is ready to cope with the sudden fame. 

Lula follows hot on the heels of President Obama welcoming a new dog, Bo, to the White House. Bo takes over from Scottish terrier Barney, who was President Bush’s pooch from 2001 to 2008. Prime Minister Putin has a Labrador called Koni, who got into trouble this year when he sneaked into the room where politicians from the United Russia party were to meet, and ate all the pies. (kk/pg)