France's President Macron adopts black dog called Nemo

The first foreign dignitary to be greeted by Nemo was Niger's president

A black dog called Nemo has surfaced in the entourage of French President Emmanuel Macron.

The labrador-griffon cross, nearly two years old, continues a tradition of French presidents having a "first dog".

Nemo comes from an animal rescue centre and the daily Le Figaro reports that Mr Macron paid €250 (£231) for him.

Captain Nemo commands the submarine Nautilus in the Jules Verne classic Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Mr Macron reportedly loves the book.

Nemo's official duties have already begun - he was there at Mr Macron's side to greet Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou. 

Mr Macron and his wife Brigitte collected Nemo on Sunday from the SPA animal refuge in Hermeray, on the western outskirts of Paris. 

The dog had been abandoned in Tulle, in the southern Corrèze region, the home base of Mr Macron's predecessor, François Hollande. 

Mr Hollande had a female labrador called Philae during his tenure at the Elysée Palace, which has a spacious garden. The dog was a gift from French war veterans living in Montreal, Canada.

BBC