It’s the end of an era. Kratu, the world’s favorite agility dog, gave his farewell performance at the Crufts Kennel Club Dog Show last week. The Romanian rescue dog that stole our hearts plans to retire from agility at the end of the year.
Kratu first made a name for himself in 2018 when he put his own unique stamp on the agility course. Rather than follow the approved routine, he skipped obstacles, visited onlookers on the sidelines, and generally frolicked about.
The video of that infamous performance has been viewed millions of times across YouTube and social media.
When the 2019 Crufts Rescue Dog Display rolled around, Kratu put on his game face. He started out strong, leaping over the first hurdle with grace. But soon, he was up to his old tricks, dodging obstacles and lurking inside the tunnel to peer out cheekily at his mom/handler.
Once again, the internet was delighted. Kratu’s 2019 performance was viewed more than 1.6 million times on YouTube alone!
On Friday, March 6, 2020, Kratu’s signature event — the Crufts Rescue Dog Agility Display — took place. Kratu gave his final performance at the dog show that made him famous, and he did not let us down. Kratu stole the show as well as a pole from one of the jumps!
Check out Kratu’s share-worthy farewell performance.
Kratu’s scruffy face and goofy behavior are all the more lovable when you learn a little about his past. He was born in Transylvania, where he was rescued from a “dangerous camp where the dogs were beaten and starved” when he was just a few weeks old.
He was adopted by Tessa Swan, who put him in agility training as a way to curb his high energy and focus his intelligent mind. Believe it or not, the fluffy goofball from the above videos won several agility competitions as well as a few Best In Show titles from UK dog shows.
Where Kratu really shines is in his philanthropic work. He serves as an emotional support dog to Swan and a visiting therapy dog for children with autism and adults with dementia. Together with his mom, Kratu is on a mission to raise awareness for rescue dogs and mental health.
Crufts may never be the same without Kratu to make us laugh, but thankfully there are other delightfully disobedient pups out there just waiting to take his place.
You can continue to get your Kratu fix by following him on Facebook and Instagram.
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