Hachiko the movie

American Akita Rescue explains why Hachiko the movie is giving American Akita Groups heartburn

Please note that I am not an official spokesperson for any Akita club or organization in the United States or any other country.  I am the founder of Blue Moon Akita Rescue and am speaking solely in the capacity of one who has been involved with the breed since 1972.



The American Akita Association had serious concerns about the Hachiko movie because the average American is an idiot when it comes to obtaining a dog.  They don't give thought to the long term aspect of the ownership, the responsibilities or the importance of selecting a dog that suits them and their lifestyle.  They don't research the breed.  The net result is that our shelters are overflowing and some shelters have well over a 90% kill rate and so anyone taking their dog to such a place may "think" they are setting Fluffy up to go to a good home but in reality they have just signed the dog's death warrant.
 
Currently in the United States, in California, over 70% of the dogs in shelters there are chihuahaus or chihuahua mix ... as a result of folks who saw that new movie with the talking Chihuahuas, and the fact that so many celebrities have these purse dogs and take them everywhere ... so they rushed out and got one.  Then they discovered they are very yappy, don't typically like children and are often very difficult to house train ... so the answer they believed was to give their problem to someone else ... i.e., to leave the dog at a shelter (or just abandon it to die on the street).  Fortunately for the Chihuahuas of Southern California, a lot of rescue organizations rallied to save them and there have subsequently been "freedom flights" out of California by volunteer pilots and some airlines donating cargo space to fly the dogs to various rescues across the country (New York took a lot of them) where they can be held safely in a rescue until homes are found.
 
Sadly, a few years ago here in the states, there were over 100 Akitas confiscated from a "rescue/sanctuary" and the dogs were in very bad shape.  The various Akita rescues across the country stepped up and took the dogs that didn't have to be euthanized outright, but the sudden influx bankrupted many of the rescue groups and they are no longer in existence. 
 
At this time there are about 7 Akita rescues in the United States and most are small like me.  Our biggest fear is that Americans will use this movie as an "oh my Akitas are definitely the dog for me; I want somebody that loyal" and rush out to pet stores and back yard breeders to get a puppy ... and the vast majority of those dogs will end up either in shelters waiting to die because rescues have no room, or available "free" on Craig's List where they can be obtained by any number of very undesirable people for illegal activities or medical research.
 
So that's why the American Akita Association has its knickers in a knot over the movie.

Karena Carlson
Blue Moon Akita Rescue
Colorado. USA
Posted January 30th, 2010

To see a review of this film, click the highlighted keywords  HACHIKO (2009) FILM