Yume is a female Akita that was given to Putin as a gift from Japan's Akita prefecture to show gratitude for assistance from Russia after the 2011 TÅhoku earthquake and tsunami. She arrived in Moscow from Tokyo, Japan in July 2012. 'Yume', means 'dream' in Japanese.
Buffy, a caramel and white Bulgarian male 10-week-old shepherd Karakachan dog, was given to President Vladimir Putin during a visit to Bulgaria in November 2010 by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. The name 'Buffy' was chosen by a five-year-old boy during a nationwide competition.