A French actor who requested for his pet dog to be euthanized and buried with him has been denied by his family as multiple animal activist groups spoke out against the idea.

Alain Delon died on Sunday at the age of 88. The French film star became an international sex symbol beginning in the 1960s, starring in the crime thriller “Purple Noon” that year. He received multiple awards over the course of his career including the César Award for Best Actor for his role in “Notre histoire” (1984).

Delon started making headlines after his death due to a 2018 interview he did with Paris Match magazine. During the conversation, the actor expressed his intentions for his pet.

“He is my end of life dog. A Belgian shepherd who I love like a child,” Delon told the outlet at the time, per Entertainment Weekly. “I’ve had 50 dogs in my life, but I have a special relationship with this one. He misses me when I’m not there.”

The actor added, “If I die before him I will ask the vet to let us go together. He will inject him so that he dies in my arms. I would rather that than knowing that he would let himself die on my grave with so much suffering.”

The dog in question is a healthy 10-year-old Belgian malinois named Loubo. Delon had previously buried the remains of at least 35 of his deceased dogs in a cemetery on the grounds of his home, The Guardian reported. The actor’s children mentioned his current pet when announcing their father’s passing.

“Alain-Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony, as well as Loubo, are deeply saddened to announce the passing of their father,” their joint statement said.

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Multiple animal rights organizations spoke out on the matter. The French Society for the Protection of Animals (SPA) shared on X, “The life of an animal should not be conditioned by that of a human. The SPA is volunteering to take in his dog and find him a family.”

The Brigitte Bardot Foundation also posted about the issue, writing on Instagram that followers need not worry about Loubo. They shared that Delon’s family had been in touch and confirmed the animal would not be put down as his owner requested.

A spokesperson for the same organization had similar reassurances in their statement to The Guardian. “I’ve just had Anouchka Delon on the phone and she has told me that Loubo is part of the family and will be kept. The dog will not be put down.”