"Our Brothers" nomination: In search of his beloved owner, the four-legged pet spent months roaming along the coast of the Maloye Morye (Little Sea), running tens of kilometers away from home.
This poignant story of the Siberian Hachiko is a tale of great love, true loyalty, and boundless devotion. It gained widespread recognition in January of this year, though it began much earlier—with the meeting of a human and an Akita Inu back in 2020.
At that time, a farmer named Kirill lived in the village of Zama in the Olkhon District, on the shores of Lake Baikal. He got a loyal four-legged friend whom he named Khan Khati, or affectionately, Khatya. The young pup became deeply attached to his human. After all, dogs of this breed choose an owner for life and recognize only one master. However, in 2022, Kirill left for the special military operation zone. A distant relative looked after the farm and Khatya. Left without his human, the red dog was heartbroken. Four months later, he escaped during a walk and set off to search for his "missing" owner. The relatives were unable to find the runaway Akita, Komsomolskaya Pravda Irkutsk reported.
"When I came home for my first leave, I found him through groups in a messaging app. It turned out that once the ice froze over, Khatya ran across it all the way to Olkhon Island—about 30 kilometers," said the SMO participant with the call sign "Panda."
The happy Khatya returned home with his owner. While Kirill was on leave, the dog never left his side. Soon, however, the friends had to part again. Being a loyal and faithful dog, the Akita grew heartbroken once more and broke out again. It wasn't until six months later, when the serviceman came home on his next leave, that he found his friend in Irkutsk—hundreds of kilometers away from Zama. The roaming Khatya had been taken in by city residents who assumed he was stray. After Kirill’s departure, the independent Akita went on the run yet again.
The charismatic Japanese dog, roaming along the coast of the Maloye Morye far from any settlements, was known to everyone who visited the shoreline: tourists, nature reserve workers, and locals. The dog would approach cars as if searching for his beloved friend among the people. Caring Irkutsk residents couldn't leave the Akita with the sad eyes all alone, so they contacted the Siberian Zoo, asking them to temporarily shelter the rare breed dog until his owner could be found. After all, despite Akitas being fast and strong, such a dog wouldn't be able to survive in the wild. Wolves are not uncommon in those parts.
The rangers confirmed that the dog had been roaming around the Maloye Morye for a long time. People had been feeding him, catching him multiple times, and trying to rehome him, but he escaped every single time. The zoo agreed to shelter the freedom-loving Akita Inu. They named their new resident Hachiko, after the famous movie of the same name. And they almost guessed it right.
"When we agreed to take Hachiko in, we double-checked the information several times and arranged with local residents to pass a message about the Akita Inu to the village of Zama. Many Irkutsk residents have no idea that such a village even exists. But it does, located on the Maloye Morye, at the northern tip of Lake Baikal. The red Hachiko had been running around there periodically for a year and a half. The rangers recommended taking the dog in so that he wouldn't be killed by wolves," said Angelina Nikitina, director of the Siberian Zoo.
A temporary home for Hachiko was set up at the zoo's branch in the village of Nikola, Irkutsk District. There were many people wishing to adopt the rare dog, but they were turned down. The zoo staff believed that one day the owner would return for his beloved pet, and they kept trying to find him. After six months, no one had responded to their posts about the Akita. That is when they decided to share the story of Hachiko, who was waiting for his owner from the SMO zone at the zoo, on the "Vesti. Irkutsk" TV program. Residents of the village of Zama saw the segment and contacted both the zoo and the TV journalists. The video was also forwarded to Kirill.
"Natalia Bespalova, a correspondent for 'Vesti. Irkutsk,' got in touch with the Akita Inu's owner. The SMO participant confirmed that it was indeed his dog. He said that when he comes home, Hachi even sleeps in bed with him. But when he leaves again, the dog runs away to search for him," said Angelina Nikitina.
Kirill recognized his faithful friend by a scar on his ear. "I would know him out of a thousand, that's my dog! He has a special distinguishing mark—a battle wound on his left ear. He tore it back home during a fight with local dogs," the serviceman shared.
While Kirill is in the special military operation zone, his father travels from Angarsk to visit Hachi. During their very first meeting, the dog caught a familiar scent and leaned toward him with joy and love in his eyes.
"It was a very warm meeting; the dog recognized Evgeny. We were worried that since the dog wasn't microchipped or branded, half the city would claim him. But Hachi clearly recognized the father of his beloved owner. You could see from the dog's reaction that it was pure love," Angelina emphasized.
Unfortunately, due to a lack of proper conditions for keeping a dog, Evgeny cannot take the four-legged pet to his home, but he intends to provide financial support constantly.
"Kirill's father left financial aid for the dog. We tried to refuse, as our own employees are also serving in the SMO. Besides, Hachi eats very well, just like everyone else
As Angelina Nikitina reported, the zoo staff studied a vast amount of scientific literature regarding the complex and loyal Akita Inu breed.
"We have three Akitas, both at the zoo and at home. The Akita Inu is a dog with an innate sense of dignity; it will never lower its head. Even in battle, it will stand to the death, never giving in or running away with its tail between its legs. It is a highly loyal dog. It has an exceptional memory—a breed characteristic that is not common to all animals. If an Akita interacted with a person when it was still a puppy, it will recognize them even years later," the director noted.
Now Hachi-Hachiko lives in a separate, spacious enclosure. He is very active, loves children and attention. However, he cannot stand enclosed spaces and cannot sit in one place for long. For this reason, he is frequently taken out for walks. And whenever one of the zoo's other residents is taken for a walk, Khatya lets out a howl that can be heard throughout the entire area. This is his way of demanding that he be taken for a walk too.
According to Angelina Nikitina, the red pup has a complicated relationship with the zoo's other residents. During walks, he likes to bark at the bear and taunt the lynxes. He doesn't stand on ceremony with the raccoons when he is brought into the warm Raccoon House to heat up during freezing weather, while its inhabitants tease the dog in response. He didn't get along in the same enclosure with a female Husky. However, he found a common language with Parma the she-wolf. He is also very friendly with all the zoo staff.
"Hachiko requires extra attention. You need to play with him and keep him engaged. He is very outgoing. He is especially fond of Parma the she-wolf, and she feels the same way about him. We are thinking about dedicating more attention to their interaction," noted the head of the animal park.
The red dog with the charming looks has already become a local attraction. Quite a few guests visit the zoo just to meet the loyal four-legged pet. His enclosure is easy to find; it has a sign with an eloquent inscription: "Siberian Hachiko. He is waiting for his owner from the SMO zone.”
Photo from the archives of the Siberian Zoo