Hero Ridgebacks - Niki

Hi everybody

There is no better way to honor our beloved breed then telling some of the amazing stories about Hero Ridgebacks.
So, in the coming weeks I will tell some stories about Ridgebacks I consider Heros, in a grand or modest way.
My stories are from Israel. If you have any story of your own, pls send it to me, so I can add it to the blog, or just add it briefly as a comment to my post.

There is no better story to start with, then the story of Niki, the Hero Ridgeback from the Arava wilderness in Israel.

Are you familiar with the heartbreaking Walt Disney movie 'Old Yeller"? I remember myself as a very young child waiting every Friday afternoon to the "Walt Disney World" TV show. I will never forget the day I saw Old Yeller. The cult feature about the mixed Lab living in the Western wilderness, and to the heroic, non-happy-end , when he was giving his life, fighting a rabiesed wolf. Gosh, I cried like mad... my young mind just couldn't accept that idea. 'Didn't they have rabies vaccinations"? "I would never let them kill my dog", where the dominant thoughts I carried for a long time after. Telling you the truth, till now I can't tell whom I prefer: the child who couldn't accept the facts of life or the more realistic person I'm today.

Anyway back to Niki and Yaron Farida, her owner. They were farmers living i a very small and isolated Kibutz at the Arava desert. The Faridas had a puppy Ridgeback male as well.
At nights the settlement is quite dark, due t its small size and isolation from big cities lights.

One midnight the Fadidas heard Niki barking outside like mad. Realising they have no chance to sleep, Yaron went out to see what's going on. Niki was all bristled and infuriated focusing in the deep dark. Then he saw she was bleeding at her right cheek and from her nose, and covered with saliva at her back.

Then HE appeared, emerged from the dark - looks like the stereotype of rabiesed wolf, salivating, running directly toward Yaron, without the slightest sign of fear. The wolf attacked them with full speed and power. Yaron, defenseless, without his handgun, had no other choice, the wolf was reaching them, he let Niki go. Niki attacked the wolf fearless. Her weight was as double as the wolf, but he was agile. He did try any trick he could, but Niki, a descendant to the lion dogs, did not let him play his game. According to Yaron, she was "like a muscles barrier", didn't let him any access to her owner.
All the agility qualities of our breed came to life at that moment. Yaron recovered from the surprise, took a garden chair and throwed it at the wolf. It did work, the wolf disappeared in the dark. Yaron didn't wait too long and dragged the infuriated bitch and the confused puppy inside.

After letting all the residents of the Kibutz know the situation, Yaron went out again, this time Niki was leashed and he was carrying his handgun with him. They didn't have to search, the wolf, seems like if he develop a personal agenda against Niki, didn't wait, emerged from the dark and attacked. The wolf realised Niki was on leash and that increased its rage. Niki was like crazy, trying to pull off the leash and protect her owner. The wolf was running in circles, reducing the distance all the time. When he was only 2 meters from them, Yaron shoot. The wolf drooped dead.

Few days latter the dead wolf diagnosed as rabiesed and Niki's fate, due to her severe wounds on her head, was doomed.
The brave Ridgback bitch from the small and remote Kibutz gave her life, sacrificed herself, to protect the life and safety of her human owners and neighbors.

That wasn't a Walt Disney movie, that was a real Ridgeback in real life.

If you feel like it, you can shade a tear for poor brave Niki.

O rit & the Rich-Rachs