How Zelenskyy was given Freya, granddaughter of dog rescued in Bucha
Volodymyr Zelenskyy was given a dog named Freya (Photo: Screenshot of Instagram video zelenskyy_official)
American boxer Terence Crawford met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his Aug. 25 visit to Ukraine and gave him a puppy named Freya.
The 3-month-old pit bull terrier puppy was named Freya after the future FREYJA air defense system. Vadym Danylchenko, an adviser to Ukraine’s youth and sports minister, told The Associated Press that the gift was highly symbolic.
Freya is the granddaughter of Athos, a dog that survived the Russian occupation of Bucha in 2022. Ukrainian troops found Athos on one of the city’s streets after destroying a large Russian military convoy.
Volunteers helped bring Athos to the United States, where Crawford’s friend Francisco Lopez, a longtime supporter of Ukraine and professional dog breeder, took him in. Lopez later brought another dog to Ukraine to breed with Athos’ daughter, who had remained in the country, continuing Athos’ bloodline. Freya was born as a result.
“Terence really wanted to give the president this particular puppy,” Danylchenko said, adding that he initially opposed giving Volodymyr Zelenskyy a gift that came with such responsibility.
“They named her Freya. Obviously, in terms of our country’s future, that was important. This little girl is a symbol of the fact that her grandfather survived and was a direct witness to the events in Bucha. So it was very symbolic,” the adviser to Ukraine’s youth and sports minister added.
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