MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin's Akita dog Yume, gifted by the northeastern Japan prefecture of Akita in 2012, died of old age last year, Russia's presidential office said recently.
"We are sad to inform you that Yume died in 2025 due to old age," the presidential office said in response to a question by Kyodo News, without elaborating on details such as the date of the dog's death. Yume would have turned 14 in April this year.
Yume, meaning "dream" in Japanese, was given to Putin by Akita Prefecture in July 2012 as a token of gratitude for support Russia provided for areas hit hard by a devastating earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan in March 2011.
In December 2024, the presidential office told Kyodo News, "Yume is doing well despite her old age, and continues to delight Putin with her gentle, playful character and loyalty."
The average life expectancy of an Akita dog is said to be around 12 years.
Yume was believed to have been kept at Putin's official residence and rarely appeared in public.
In February 2014, Putin and Yume greeted then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his residence in Sochi, a Black Sea resort, where the two leaders held talks.
In December 2016, Putin brought Yume to a press conference with some Japanese media ahead of his visit to Japan.
Shoji Hatakeyama, 83, of Odate, Akita Prefecture, who raised Yume for about three months before she was gifted to Putin, said, "It's sad, but I think she did very well in Russia which is colder than Akita. Since we had no information, I was wondering how she was doing."
As a return gift, Putin sent a Siberian cat to then Akita Gov. Norihisa Satake in February 2013. Named Mir, meaning "peace" in Russian, the cat died of illness in December 2024.
