There are stories about our pets that need to be told and immortalized, and in this case, I’m not here to tell you a story about one of my own pets, but rather about the pet of my neighbor and friend. He had a beautiful dog—a mutt, as we’d say around here—with beautiful brown eyes and a lovely caramel-colored coat. My friend runs a small business out of his home where he sells household items, and every time we went over to buy something, his dog would greet us with a bark—always keeping watch over the safety of his home, yet coming out to say hello when he recognized familiar faces.

Whenever I saw my neighbor, his dog was right by his side; so much so that during the recent earthquake we experienced in our country, Venezuela, his beloved dog saved him from being buried alive. That day was filled with many stories for many families—and, of course, for their pets as well, since they’re part of the family—and this beautiful dog was no exception. On June 24, he and his owner were at the vet’s office because he had a minor condition in one of his ears and was receiving medical treatment for it.

They were in the vet’s office, located on the ground floor of the building, waiting their turn to be seen like everyone else—owners with their respective pets— and a few minutes before the event, my neighbor’s dog started getting extremely restless and began pulling on the leash that connected him to my neighbor with such insistence that my neighbor, somewhat embarrassed, got up to see what was wrong with his dog, since he was acting very strangely and seemed somewhat agitated. He took the dog outside, and at that very moment, what would turn out to be one of the worst earthquakes ever to hit the country began.

Everything started falling, and right where my neighbor had been sitting just moments before, part of the clinic’s ceiling collapsed. That day, my neighbor made his way to our building as best he could, recounting the story of his life alongside his savior, grateful to God and his pet for having had his four-legged angel by his side. I remember that all of us who heard his story told him that his dog deserved all the attention he wanted and his favorite food, since he owed him his life. My neighbor was visibly shaken by everything he’d been through, but happy to be safe with his family and his dog.

But, since everything in life brings unexpected surprises, I recently found out that his four-legged angel had passed away unexpectedly… Apparently, one of the medications he was being given didn’t agree with him, and he died suddenly. It has been very sad for this family, as this lovely stray had become part of their family, and they are currently mourning his loss. That’s why, upon learning of this terrible outcome, it became clear to me that our pets always come into our lives for a reason—in this case, to save my neighbor’s life and provide love and companionship to the family. If there’s a heaven for animals, I hope you’re there, beautiful little dog. Cheers, friends!

Esp

Hay historias de nuestras mascotas que deben ser contadas, inmortalizadas, y en este caso no vengo a contarles una historia de una de mis mascotas, sino de la mascota de mi vecino y amigo. Él tenía un hermoso perro sin pedigree, como diríamos por acá, callejero, de hermosos ojos color café y lindo pelaje color caramelo. Mi amigo en su casa tiene un pequeño emprendimiento donde vende algunas cosas para el hogar y cada vez que íbamos de casa a comprar cualquiera de sus productos, estaba su mascota recibiéndonos con sus ladridos, siempre pendiente de la seguridad de su casa y, a la vez, al reconocer a los conocidos, salir a saludar.

Ver a mi vecino era ver a su mascota al lado de él; tanto así que en este evento natural, el terremoto que recientemente vivimos en nuestro país, Venezuela, su querido perro le salvó de morir tapiado. Ese día estuvo lleno de muchas historias para muchas familias y, por supuesto, para sus mascotas también, como integrantes del hogar que son, y este bello perro no fue la excepción. Ese día 24 de junio su dueño y él estaban en una consulta veterinaria, pues tenía una pequeña afección en una de sus orejas y estaba recibiendo atención médica por la misma.

Se encontraban en el consultorio médico que estaba situado en un edificio en la planta baja del mismo, esperando su turno para ser atendidos como todos los demás, dueños con sus respectivas mascotas, y unos minutos antes del suceso, el perro de mi vecino se empezó a poner superinquieto y empezó a jalar a mi vecino por la correa que lo sujetaba a él mismo, con tanta insistencia que mi vecino, algo apenado, se levantó del lugar para ver qué le sucedía a su perro, pues estaba actuando muy extraño y algo molesto. Salió con él hacia afuera del lugar y justo en ese instante comenzó lo que sería uno de los peores terremotos que se han dado en el país.

Todo empezó a caer, y justo donde antes estaba sentado mi vecino, cayó parte del techo del consultorio. Ese día mi vecino, como pudo, llegó hasta nuestro edificio contando su historia de vida junto con su salvador, agradecido con Dios y a su mascota, por haber tenido junto a él a su ángel de 4 patas. Recuerdo que todos los que supimos de su historia le dijimos que su perro se merecía las atenciones que quisiera y su comida preferida, pues le debía la vida. Mi vecino se veía visiblemente afectado por todo lo vivido, pero feliz de estar bien junto a su familia y su perro.

Pero, como todo en la vida trae sorpresas inesperadas, en estos días me enteré de que su ángel de 4 patas había fallecido inesperadamente... Al parecer, una de las medicaciones que le estaban administrando le cayó mal y murió súbitamente. Ha sido muy triste para esta familia, pues este lindo ejemplar callejero se había convertido en parte de ellos y por estos días están de luto por su pérdida. Es por ello que, al enterarme de este terrible desenlace, me quedó claro que nuestras mascotas siempre vienen a nuestras vidas con un propósito, en este caso salvarle la vida a mi vecino y brindarle amor y compañía a la familia; si existe un cielo para los animales, espero que estés allí, hermoso perrito. Saludos amigos!