Heart-kun
{{Short description|Individual Chihuahua dog}}
{{nihongo|Heart-kun|ハート君|extra=born May 18, 2007}} is a Chihuahua born with a heart-shaped patch of brown hair on its white coated body.
History
Heart-kun was born in Ōdate, Akita, Japan on May 18, 2007, at the Pucchin Dog's shop. Born in a litter, Heart-kun was the only one of the group to have a heart-shaped patch.{{cite news|title=They call it puppy love |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=2007-07-10 |url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/they-call-it-puppy-love/story-e6frf00i-1111113928162 |access-date=2010-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829144037/http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/they-call-it-puppy-love/story-e6frf00i-1111113928162 |archive-date=2012-08-29 |url-status=dead }} Shop owner Emiko Sakurada, who has bred more than 1,000 puppies over the course of several years, said that she had never seen such unique markings.{{cite news|title=Puppy born with heart-shaped fur |newspaper=BBC |date=2007-07-11 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6290000/newsid_6292900/6292976.stm |access-date=2010-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080218002945/http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_6290000/newsid_6292900/6292976.stm |archive-date=2008-02-18 |url-status=dead }} "Kun" is an honorific that is appended most often to male names.{{cite news |title=Kot z Gdańska jak pies z Japonii |language=Polish |author=Ręczmin, Marcin |newspaper=Gazeta.pl |date=2008-01-18 |url=http://trojmiasto.gazeta.pl/trojmiasto/1,35635,4849334.html |access-date=2010-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091218113203/http://trojmiasto.gazeta.pl/trojmiasto/1,35635,4849334.html |archive-date=2009-12-18 |url-status=dead }}
Heart-kun's owner, Sakurada, has received many requests from people who wish to buy him.{{cite news |title='Não se dá preço ao filho', diz dona do cachorro com marca de coração |language=Portuguese |author=Kimura, Marcílio |newspaper=Rede Globo |date=2007-07-17 |url=http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Mundo/0,,MUL71378-5602,00-NAO+SE+DA+PRECO+AO+FILHO+DIZ+DONA+DO+CACHORRO+COM+MARCA+DE+CORACAO.html |access-date=2010-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090809170020/http://g1.globo.com/Noticias/Mundo/0,,MUL71378-5602,00-NAO+SE+DA+PRECO+AO+FILHO+DIZ+DONA+DO+CACHORRO+COM+MARCA+DE+CORACAO.html |archive-date=2009-08-09 |url-status=dead }} Sukarada has rejected these requests, believing that the dog's special patch is giving her and her family luck. Two months after Heart-kun's birth, Sakurada's sister, Maki Matsuyama, won the lottery and a concert ticket. Matsuyama attributes this good fortune to Heart-kun.{{cite news|title=Japan smitten by puppy love |newspaper=Reuters |date=2007-07-15 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSP5208920070716 |access-date=2010-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114181240/http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSP5208920070716 |archive-date=2012-11-14 |url-status=dead }}
The pattern of a dog's fur is determined by genes. Heart-kun likely had a heart-shaped design on his coat because he had a collection of genes that induced brown fur, as well as a second collection dictating that the brown fur would be amalgamated with white patterns.{{cite news |title=Explain This! |newspaper=Science World |date=2008-02-04 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1590/is_9_64/ai_n24242658/ |access-date=2010-01-26 }}
Over 200,000 people watched videos of Heart-kun on YouTube. Heart-kun became well known in Japan after a Japanese TV station photographed him.{{cite news |title=Irmão de cão com mancha de coração nasce com marca igual |language=Portuguese |newspaper=Primeira Edição |date=2009-08-06 |url=http://www.primeiraedicao.com.br/?pag=entretenimento&cod=2339 |access-date=2010-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090808150823/http://www.primeiraedicao.com.br/?pag=entretenimento&cod=2339 |archive-date=2009-08-08 |url-status=dead }}
In August 2009, Heart-kun sired Kokoro-chan, who also possesses a heart-shaped design on its coat.{{cite news |title=Heart-shaped markings on baby chihuahua |newspaper=WGHP |date=2009-08-17 |url=http://www.myfox8.com/news/orl-animals1520090817083030,0,961931.photo |access-date=2010-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719075853/http://www.myfox8.com/news/orl-animals1520090817083030,0,961931.photo |archive-date=2011-07-19 |url-status=dead }} In the same month, Heart-kun's mother, in a litter comprising four puppies, had a pup named Love-kun that possessed the distinct heart-shaped design on its coat. Sakurada reiterated that she would sell neither dog.{{cite news|title=Celebrity Chihuahua Heart-kun gets a younger brother who shares his heart-shaped marking |author=Barnett, Lindsay |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |format=blog |date=2009-08-10 |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/08/celebrity-chihuahua-heartkun-gets-a-younger-brother-who-shares-his-heartshaped-marking.html |access-date=2010-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325205717/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2009/08/celebrity-chihuahua-heartkun-gets-a-younger-brother-who-shares-his-heartshaped-marking.html |archive-date=2010-03-25 |url-status=dead }}
A horse with a white heart-shaped patch on its brown head has been given a similar name.{{cite news|title=【札幌12Ｒ】"ハート君"ウイズキッド中央初勝利 |newspaper=Sports Nippon |date=2009-08-17 |url=http://www.sponichi.co.jp/gamble/news/2009/08/17/14.html |access-date=2010-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826151816/http://www.sponichi.co.jp/gamble/news/2009/08/17/14.html |archive-date=2009-08-26 |url-status=dead }}
See also
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://yaplog.jp/cv/aloha82/img/40/070927-thumb_p.jpg Image]