Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen's trip to Moldova experienced an unpleasant surprise when Moldovan President Maia Sandu's dog bit his hand during a visit to Chişinău. The incident took place when the two leaders were strolling through the Presidential Palace courtyard.
According to Politico, Sandu brought her dog, a rescue dog named Codruț, in a photo-op with Van der Bellen and Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar. Van der Bellen reached down to pet Codruț, but the dog lunged at him and snapped at his right hand.
Sandu later apologised and explained that Codruț had become overwhelmed by many people around. The Austrian President was later seen with a bandaged hand in pictures with Sandu and Musar.
"My first encounter with Codrut, the 'First Dog' of Moldova, caused a bit of a stir. Everyone who knows me knows that I'm a big dog lover and can understand his excitement - he was nervous because of all the people around him. It was all half as bad," said Van der Ballen later in a video message on X.
Sandu adopted Codruț, a former stray, in early 2023 after the dog was hit by a car, losing a leg. "Unfortunately, we were not able to save his paw, but after a few months of treatment, he is now running happily on 3 legs,” she wrote on Instagram at the time.
Van der Bellen was meeting with Sandu and Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar to discuss Moldova’s bid to join the European Union.
It's not the first time a presidential pet has made headlines for acting in such a manner. US President Joe Biden's German Shepherd, Commander, was removed from office after attacks on members of the US Secret Service and other staff.
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