A week ago, I had to go on a business trip to Voronezh. As I was packing for the trip, my friends were all vying with me to meet the kangaroo dog, the subject of countless videos and memes. I wasn't entirely sure we'd meet, but I promised to keep a close eye out.
Upon arriving in Voronezh, I immediately dove into work and, of course, didn't think about the dog. After all the important meetings and negotiations were over, I decided to stroll around the city, admire the local sights, and buy some souvenirs for my friends.
And suddenly I saw a suspiciously familiar dog ahead of me. She was walking on all fours, as usual, but her appearance was very reminiscent of a kangaroo. I decided to wait for her owner to cross the road and see what would happen next.
A few minutes later, the dog's owner turned toward the crosswalk, and I froze in anticipation, but the dog stood calmly on all fours. Thinking it wasn't her, I was about to pass by, but as soon as the light turned green, the animal began yelping and tugging at its leash. Then it stood up on its hind legs and hopped quite quickly across the crosswalk. The owner didn't give any commands, but simply walked along and smiled sweetly at the people around, who, of course, noticed and recognized the popular kangaroo dog.
I caught up with the girl and asked if I could take a photo with her amazing pet. We then got to talking, and the girl told me that Fidel loves people and is playful and affectionate. His owner, Tatyana Maltseva, doesn't know why he behaves this way at the crosswalk; apparently, he just likes to cross the road that way.
Tatyana told me Fidel's very sad story. She had originally planned to get a German Shepherd and had almost made a deal with a kennel—they offered her a puppy with vaccinations and a passport. But a couple of days later, she saw an ad online for a puppy—it was a husky-Akita mix. The price was 7,000 rubles. On January 1st, Tanya went to pick him up. Even though there was no photo of the puppy in the ad, she was sure he was the one she wanted.
The woman pulled a wet, desperately squeaking bundle from a dirty backpack and said he was feeling a little sick. Tatyana took the little one to the clinic, where doctors told her the puppy had a 50/50 chance of survival. For two weeks, Tanya fought desperately for Fidel's life—injecting him with vitamins, eliminating parasites, and treating his rickets. The puppy grew stronger and began to recover, but at five months old, he had to undergo surgery. Afterward, his owner remained by his side, literally dragging him back from the brink of death. Now he's perfectly healthy, alert, cheerful, and very sociable.
When I asked about the dog's name, Tanya told me that everyone in her family is fascinated by Cuba, and her grandmother even visited the country back in Soviet times. So, choosing a name for the puppy was a no-brainer from the start.
