08/10/2024
A Doberman Ghost Story:
Actor Rudolph Valentino (May 6, 1895 - Aug. 23, 1926) was a s*x symbol of the 1920s, known in Hollywood as the "Latin Lover." His early death at age 31 (from a burst appendix, which led to sepsis) caused mass hysteria among his fans, further cementing his place in early cinematic history as a cultural film icon.
Valentino loved animals, and while he had many dogs, his “heart dog” was a Doberman Pinscher named Kabar. Born in France, Kabar was given to Valentino by a Belgian diplomat when the pup was a few months old. From the beginning, Valentino and his dog were inseparable. Kabar went everywhere with his owner, traveled in First Class, and slept in his master’s room. We’ll never know why Valentino didn’t take Kabar with him on his last trip heading east in 1926. Though the two were 3,000 miles apart, Kabar started a mournful howling when Valentino died unexpectedly, and he remained inconsolable.
When Valentino’s brother Alberto arrived, Kabar improved marginally, but only for a time. Kabar was almost constantly sick after the death of his beloved master, and even ran away only to return months later at Valentino’s Hollywood house. He was in rough shape; a veterinarian was called in, but Kabar refused to eat and died within a few days on January 17, 1929. Like his owner, Kabar’s passing was reported in newspapers, including the Chicago Daily Tribune.
Alberto wanted to bury Kabar at Valentino’s estate, but city regulations forced him to bury the Doberman at a pet cemetery. Kabar was laid to rest at Los Angeles Pet Park, alongside MGM’s lion, Tawny, and Petey, the dog from "The Little Rascals.” Spiritualists say that Kabar is still tied to this world because he wasn’t able to reunite with his owner. His ghost has been seen at Valentino’s mansion, especially around the actor’s birthday, and a group of mediums saw the dog while celebrating Valentino’s life in 1948. Mostly, however, Kabar haunts the grounds of the cemetery where people have heard him barking and panting, and some have even reported that their hands were licked while visiting his grave. Kabar’s grave has been described as one of the most haunted graves in California.
Source:
https://undereverystone.blogspot.com/2013/08/rudolph-valentinos-faithful-dog-kabar.html and NationalPurebredDogDay.com.