Frenchman’s ‘Hitler’ dog falls foul of the law

Following the mayor's request, the owner of the American Staffordshire Terriers "Itler" and "Iva" has agreed to rename them "Ilisa" and "Isio 4".

A few months ago, the mayor refused to sign a license for the dogs in September because of their controversial names. 

"I don't want to sign this licence … of course 'Itler' and 'Iva' make you think of Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun, a dubious play on words," he said at the time.

"I have written to the local prefect to ask him what I can do. In the meantime, I'm not signing," he told AFP, adding he believed the owner of the two dogs was a local National Front official.

"It's completely mad. Stupid even," added Binsinger.

The owner had already secured an initial licence – required in France for dangerous dogs – but the names had apparently not raised eyebrows at the time.

"It's not a question of how dangerous the dogs are, it's a question of principle," said Binsinger.

Neither the local prefect nor the owner could be immediately reached for comment.

There is in theory no restrictions on naming animals in France … with one exception – you cannot call a pig Napoleon, due to a law aimed at preserving the image of the Emperor which is still on the statute books.