"He Has Little Dog Syndrome": British PM Refuses to Bring Dog to Downing Street Over Larry the Cat

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has revealed that his rescue dog, Axel, will remain in the North of England because he "does not get along" with Downing Street's Chief Mouser, Larry the Cat.

Commenting on the "momentous choice," the Prime Minister confirmed that Axel—a Bishon-Poo (a Bichon Frise-Poodle cross)—is barred from setting foot in 10 Downing Street.

"I think he'll have to stay up North. You see, he's got 'little dog syndrome'. Yes, he definitely wouldn't get along with Larry, let's put it that way. I don't think the nation would thank me if I brought Axel down and he disrupted Larry's peace. So it's best he stays home. These are the crucial decisions. And this major decision has already been made. It's crystal clear," the politician said in an interview with the BBC.

In response to the Prime Minister's announcement, the unofficial account for "Larry the Cat" posted a photo showing the feline threateningly unsheathing his claws through the residence gates at a police service dog. The post was captioned: "Lucky for the dog there was a gate between us..."

During Sir Keir Starmer's tenure as Prime Minister, Larry already had to share Downing Street with two other cats—a rescue cat and a Siberian kitten. Previously, he also had "fiery clashes" with Nova, a dog belonging to Rishi Sunak's wife.

Larry has become a unique political phenomenon capable of uniting the country across party lines. In February, he celebrated a milestone—15 years of service at Downing Street, having outlasted six prime ministers: David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, and Keir Starmer.

His official duties include "inspecting security defenses, testing antique furniture for napping suitability," and "contemplating a solution to the building's mouse problem."

As for Axel the dog, Burnham and his wife adopted him from the Dogs Trust Shrewsbury shelter nearly ten years ago. Throughout these years, the pet has rarely been seen in public—and it seems London won't be seeing him anytime soon either.