Kratu (dog)

Baron Kratu von Bearbum,[1] or Kratu, is a Carpathian-Mioritic mix rescue dog from Romania. He appeared at the Crufts dog show 2017–2020, where his unexpectedly rule-defiant behaviour appealed to the audience and became a viral phenomenon.[2][3]

For the son of Brahma, see Kratu.
Kratu in 2020

Early life

In 2014, when Kratu was a few weeks old, he was rescued from harsh conditions in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, at the request of his British owner to-be, Tessa Eagle Swan.[1][4][5] Eagle Swan says that she started to train him through WhatsApp before he arrived in the UK.[3][6] "Kratu" is a Sanskrit word, meaning "strength".[7]

Training and activities

Eagle Swan, who is autistic, has trained Kratu as her assistance dog, as well as giving him some agility training. He has visited a screening for a film about Romanian stray dogs at the European Parliament[8][9][10][11][3] and is an ambassador for the all-party parliamentary dog advisory welfare group (APDAWG) as of 2022.[12][7] He has also worked as a model.[13] Eagle Swan and Kratu went to Romania in 2018 and met with students of animal psychology at the Babeș-Bolyai University.[14][15] Eagle Swan says:

"Kratu succeeds where the system fails me... Where I was isolated, lost, and lonely, he has brought companionship. Motivation to look after him and his welfare makes me face my issues and get through them as his wellbeing is vital to me."[11]

Kratu was named "Social media superstar" at the Mirror People’s Pet Awards in 2021.[16][17]

A book written by Eagle Swan and Lynne Barrett-Lee, Incredible Kratu, was published in March 2022.[18][19]

Appearances at Crufts

Kratu and Eagle Swan did a course of agility at the Crufts dog show in 2017, representing the Wood Green charity. They were invited back the next year, and this time videoclips of Kratu went viral. He appeared again the two following years, and various media have commented that though he is not doing what he is supposed to, he is stealing the show, enjoying himself and being loved by the audience. Commentator Peter Purves said "He can do all sorts of things, except, er, follow instructions." Eagle Swan calls him "a natural clown",[20][2][21][22] and stated in 2020 that because of a pinched sciatic nerve, he will not be participating again.[3]

People commented in 2020 that "Kratu did not win the rescue dog agility course competition at Crufts this year, or in 2019 and 2018, but he did win the hearts of countless onlookers."[23] According to KSL.com, "Basically, if dogs had class clowns, Kratu would be the king of them all."[19]

See also

References
  1. Messenger, Stephen (13 March 2018). "Rescue Dog Spectacularly Fails Agility Course — But Wins Everyone's Heart". The Dodo. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  2. Kidd, Patrick (9 March 2019). "Crufts: Riff-raff give Star Paws a run for their money". The Times. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  3. Martinelli, Marissa (10 March 2020). "How Kratu the Rescue Dog Became a Viral Star". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  4. Stump, Scott (15 March 2019). "Dog hilariously doesn't care about obstacle course, goes his own way". TODAY.com. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  5. Magradean, Vasile (1 March 2020). "Povestea lui Kratu, metisul mioritic abandonat în România, care a devenit câine de terapie pentru stăpâna lui: O dată în viaţă se întâmplă să întâlneşti un aşa câine / Azi e celebru în Marea Britanie | GALERIE FOTO". Mediafax (in Romanian). Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  6. "Rescue dog trained over WhatsApp". BBC News. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  7. Reeder, Jen (16 June 2022). "Rescue dog Kratu made the world laugh with his agility runs". TODAY.com. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  8. Lopez Martinez, Melissa (8 March 2020). "Rescue dog adorably fails agility course at dog show -- again". CTV News. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  9. "There's More to This Dog Than a Viral Video, Here's His Story". K9 Magazine. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  10. "Woman heaps praise on 'loving' dog after pair get Friends for Life nomination". Ealing Times. 26 February 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  11. Sharkey, Lauren (1 March 2020). "Why Are Emotional Support Animals Not Legally Recognised In The UK?". Bustle. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  12. Wanshei, Elyse (15 March 2019). "Happy-Go-Lucky Rescue Dog Has The Best Time Failing An Agility Course". HuffPost. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  13. St John, Kathleen (21 March 2019). "This Rescue Dog Does His Own Thing On The Agility Course—And People Love It". Simplemost. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  14. "Povestea emoționantă a câinelui abandonat pe străzi în România și ajuns animal de terapie în Marea Britanie". Digi24 (in Romanian). 31 March 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  15. "Video Abandonat în România, vedetă în Anglia". TVR (in Romanian). 30 March 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  16. Earth, Matthew (28 November 2021). "'He's my sunshine boy' - Suffolk support dog in running to win award". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  17. "SOCIAL MEDIA SUPERSTAR - The People's Pet Awards". The Mirror People’s Pet Awards. December 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  18. Joy, Lauren (2 May 2022). "Food blogger among best selling authors appearing at literary festival". Bournemouth Daily Echo. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  19. Ostergar, Martha (6 March 2022). "Have You Seen This? Dog leaves competitive 'career' with a hilarious bang". KSL.com. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  20. Martinelli, Marissa (14 March 2019). "Dog Not Sure What's Going On, Still Having a Good Time". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  21. "No One Can Get Enough of Kratu the Apathetic Dog for Stealing the Show and the Equipment at the Dog Show". Time. 9 March 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  22. "An Interview With Kratu The Rescue Dog". Crufts. 2018. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  23. Bender, Kelli (11 March 2020). "Kratu the Rescue Dog Adorable Fails Crufts Dog Show Agility Course for the Third Year in a Row". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
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