Jacob Chattman is the creator behind the popular Tik Tok account @esperborzoi. The beloved star of his videos, Esper, tragically passed this month.

Esper found her rise to fame first through Vine where she was coined as the “Little Russian Lady.” She lived a long and fulfilling 8 years alongside her sister Ora.

Esper’s adoption into the family was very spontaneous. Chattman details that he was on a trip in Hawaii when he found out about some available Borzoi puppies in New Mexico through a follower. Shortly after, Chattman flew home and made the 7-hour drive to meet them. He picked up Esper as well as her brother for his parents.

It took nearly 14 hours to get both puppies home. Chattman is an avid fan of Nintendo’s Final Fantasy III. In the game, an esper is created when humans interact with magic and can aid in battle. “These creatures were beautiful and ancient and the name just seemed to fit,” described Chattman in one of his Tik Tok videos. 

From there, Esper grew a loving fan base. Borzois are known for their unique physique and long, narrow heads. Fans watched as Esper grew and adapted to the family. 

On March 2, a post was made on Instagram announcing the tragic passing of Esper.

Suspecting a heart attack Chattman and his partner Christina said they attempted CPR in the back of their car for 20 minutes while rushing to the vet. Unfortunately, they were unable to get Esper’s heart to beat again. 

Sadly, this is not a rare occurrence for Borzois. While generally a healthy and active breed, heart defects are common. Some, like Esper, are given perfect health screenings before sudden death occurs.  

An organization called the Borzoi Health and Wellness Foundation is actively trying to research these defects. The group is titled Valentine’s Fund after a similar case where a Borzoi named Valentine was lost to sudden death. This organization is using donations to fund heart autopsies of other Borzois that are lost to defects in hopes of preventing more deaths from happening in the future. 

Thousands of Esper’s fans have come together to honor her memory and send condolences to her owners. The outpouring of support goes to show how much animals can touch our hearts and leave a lasting impact on our lives.