The Day of Kuvasz Loyalty historically falls on September 15, but this year will be held on Saturday, September 17, 2022.
The "Day of Kuvasz Loyalty"
created by A Kuvasz és Mi
A KUVASZ ÉS MI ALAPITVÁNY on Facebook created the idea for a memorial day for the Kuvaszok who died in World War II. He chose September 15 for the anniversary date, and in 2013 held the first walk in Budapest to honor the brave Kuvaszok who died defending their owners' property from invading Soviet soldiers.
by A KUVASZ ÉS MI ALAPITVÁNY, "The Kuvasz and We" Non-Profit Foundation
On this day we would remember to those Kuvaszes and other breeds of dogs who sacrificed their life for those who were the most important for them, for people.
Why September 15th?
Because around this time in the autumn of 1944 the Soviet army stepped into the area of the Karpathian basin and started the biggest known slaughter of the Kuvasz population. We at A KUVASZ ÉS MI ALAPITVÁNY in Budapest would like if this not so well-known historical fact would not sink into oblivion.
For those who do not know about this period, we would sum up what happened from the autumn in 1944, here and on our Facebook page at A KUVASZ ÉS MI ALAPITVÁNY:
In the middle of September 1944 started the marching of the Soviet army from more directions into the Karpathian basin. Crowds of people fled from their farms and left the small villages when they heard about the arrival of the front lines. Besides saving the lives of people, saving the guarding kuvaszes as well was out of the question.
Most of the people hoped that the Kuvasz would hide when they heard the noise of the guns, or run away, and when the tenants got home they would return, so they might survive the passing of the army.
The people who returned days and weeks after the army left the area, saw that the dogs (other breed than kuvasz) survived the brutality of the troops.
But coming home they had to face reality, most of the Kuvaszes lied shot down near the fence. The Kuvaszes left behind tried to save the home of their owners!!!
The warning shots were useless, the roaring tanks, the rumbling guns did not frighten them away. When everybody ran away, they protected with loyalty what they had been entrusted to guard. Entering to the Karpathian basin, it soon spread among the foreign soldiers that the big white dogs had to be shot because they did not let anyone to enter, and could seriously injure the attacker.
According to estimations from the autumn of 1944 to the spring of 1945 THOUSANDS OF KUVASZES GAVE THEIR LIFE FOR ACTING THE WAY THEY HAD BEEN TAUGHT BY THEIR OWNERS!
About the family of Livestock Guardian Dogs...
“To this day flocks are guarded in the hills of Asia, Europe and Africa* by powerful, robust dogs that are neither clumsy nor pacific. Despite the distances that separate them these breeds have much in common, and the Kuvasz is a member of this extended sheepdog family.”
Dr. Buzády Tibor. 2002. Dogs of Hungary. Translated by Bernard Adams. Budapest, Hungary: Nóra Kiadó. P. 100.
*(and now also in North America, South America and Australia)
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