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18 Dec, 2011 09:20

Stray dog hunters threaten to kill 'Yakutian Hachiko'

Dog-hunters are targeting a stray dog from Russia’s Far East whose moving story of love and loyalty made headlines all over the world.

“Yakutian Hachiko” captured the attention of the public after local residents found him beside his dead mate. The grief-stricken dog was guarding the body in biting cold for as long as two weeks – just like his Japanese prototype, popularized in the West by a recent Hollywood drama.Some people, however, have turned out to be less big-hearted than the four-legged hero. Soon after the hound’s story spread around the globe, a sickening Internet hate campaign was launched against the brave animal.“Angry youngsters have posted numerous messages all over the Internet, calling on Hachiko to be poisoned,” Alla Komarenko, head of a local animal charity, told Interfax. “Some even proposed to catch him and make a shish kebab out of his meat. They say stray dogs are dangerous and need to be exterminated.”Worrying about the dog, local residents started calling animal rights organizations, begging them to protect Hachiko. The hound was soon taken to a kennel provided by the charity. In the next few days, he will be vaccinated and issued a pet passport. After that, kennel staff hope to find Hachiko a new home. “An old bus driver was intending to take him,” Komarenko said. “The man lives in a private house, and he already has a dog. Unfortunately, he said later that his family members were against the idea.”Earlier, a woman from Cologne in Germany offered to adopt the dog. The vets, however, say that Hachiko may not survive such a long flight, especially if he were to be sedated in accordance with international rules.

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