Georgian Stray Dog Awarded a Home, a Star & a Special Place in People’s Hearts

It has four names, four legs, a kind heart, and the streets as a home. This might sound like a weird, unsuccessful riddle but it’s the simple reality of a Georgian dog that has recently become the country’s favorite, receiving a star to his name and a feature in American media. So, who is this dog?

Beka Tsinadze, a Facebook user from Batumi, published a video on his page on January 20 showing a dog helping kids to cross the street. The dog is seen barking at drivers who won’t stop at the zebra crossing, demanding them to hit the brakes and let the children get to the other side. The dog, looking to have been trained in Hollywood, in a scene which could have come from a Disney movie, quickly got the public’s attention, making it to people’s hearts. His video reached a million viewers and also caught the attention of the American media: USA Today, ABC News, and CBS News have spread the word about the Georgian canine “hero”.

Some call him Bimi, some Kursha, some Kupata, and some Tetra. Others have come up with other names. He is a stray dog of approximately four years old who lives on Memed Abashidze Street in Batumi.

“He loves kids so much. If he sees them wanting to cross [the road], he will immediately go to their aid, and may even wait for them in the park,” Nona Zakareishvili told Radio Tavisupleba. Zakareishvili has been feeding him for four years now, and he always sleeps at her door.

The butcher shops in Batumi also feed the dog. Since he is so well-fed by the inhabitants of the street, one of the butchers has named him Kupata, after the Georgian meat dish Kupati.

The Adjara Tourism Department was quick to honor the celebrity of the city of Batumi. On January 22, the Department bought him a home: his new shelter from the cold winter days has a star on it that reads his name and “People’s Choice”.

“The popular Kupata now has his own home. He was only aiming to help kids safely cross the streets, but it amounted to so much more. The employees of the Department bought him a home with the words: People’s Choice. That is something he certainly well deserves,” reads the Facebook post of the Department of Tourism and Resorts of Adjara.

Kupata’s story serves as a real-life manifestation of the quote from Academy Awards nominated animated film Klaus: “a true selfless act always sparks another”.

By Nini Dakhundaridze