K-9 Lifesavers, a 501c(3) non-profit organization, rescues homeless and abandoned dogs from high-kill shelters, owners
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Loyal Lotus
In the 1920s, the Akita population in Japan had dwindled down to 30 purebred dogs when Hachikō changed things. Born in late 1923, Hachikō ('hachi' meaning 'eight', a number referring to the dog's birth order in the litter, and 'kō,' meaning prince or duke) become the faithful companion of Hidesaburō Ueno, a professor of the University of Tokyo, who he greeted at the end of each day at the Shibuya train station. The daily routine continued until May 1925 until Professor Ueno did not return because he had died of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Every day for the next nine years, Hachikō returned to the station to wait for his master at precisely the moment the train was due.
As a permanent fixture at the train station, Hachikō attracted the attention of many commuters, including a former student of Professor Ueno's who published several articles overs the years about Hachikō's remarkable loyalty. In 1932, one of these articles put Hachikō into the national spotlight as his faithfulness to his master's memory impressed the people of Japan and his spirit of family loyalty was held up as an example that all should strive to achieve. Teachers and parents used Hachikō's vigil as an example for children to follow. A well-known Japanese artist rendered a sculpture of the dog, and throughout the country a new awareness of the Akita breed grew.
Hachikō died on March 8, 1935. His remains have been preserved and are on displayed at the National Science Museum of Japan in Ueno, Tokyo.
