Osito (“little bear”, in Portuguese) is a medium-sized mixed-breed dog that lived with the owner. Like all good dogs – loyal, well behaved and playful – he was very pampered. But that was before her friend died. After that, he was abandoned and had to endure grief and loneliness.
The little dog was described as sociable and friendly: an animal that anyone would love to have in the house. But life moves on and it's not always very fair. When the tutor died, Osito was gradually left aside, until he ended up on the street of bitterness.
Osito's story
The dog could never imagine that, after having to face the longing and sadness for the absence of his best friend, he would have to face even more difficult days. The tutor died waiting for family members to take care of Osito.
Day-to-day concerns, however, combined with a certain dose of cruelty, changed the course of events. Osito was, little by little, being left aside. To relatives, he was a bothersome dog.
In the first days of the tutor's absence, Osito showed all the sadness he was feeling. He spent a lot of time looking still and expectant, howling for long moments and even refusing food.
It was his way of showing homesickness – each of us displays different signs of grief, and all of them should be respected. But for the relatives, Osito became a nuisance: he was noisy, was easily isolated, did not want to interact.
To complicate the situation, the dog was left in the backyard of the new house, without permission to enter the residence. There is nothing wrong with keeping dogs in gardens and yards, especially large ones, as long as there is shelter and shade for them.
But for someone like Osito who was used to a warm bed, games and lots of cuddling before naps, it was a pretty drastic change.
Osito turned into a noisy dog. He was always whimpering in the corners. In addition to missing the tutor, he also resented the lack of caresses and “conversations” he was used to.
Despite promises to take care of the dog, which the furry one would lack, the owner's relatives did not have time to dedicate themselves to Osito. The less affection and attention he received, the more withdrawn he became.
Finally, the new family decided to get rid of the troublesome animal. Osito was simply discarded, abandoned on the streets. The relatives forgot what they had promised and threw the dog away as if it were a useless piece of junk.
The rescue:
Osito has always lived in Culiacán, the capital of the State of Sinaloa, at the entrance to the Gulf of California, on the west coast of Mexico. It's a big, sunny city, but for a spoiled little dog who's always lived indoors, Culiacán proved terrifying.
The dog was left alone for about two weeks. He was disoriented, struggling to get food and shelter, exposed to fights with other stray dogs, illness and road accidents – Culiacán is a large city, with almost a million inhabitants in the metropolitan area.
In a matter of days, Osito was thin, malnourished and full of fleas. The attacks of the most experienced animals in street survival also did not take long to happen. The dog also suffered an inflammatory process that required urgent treatment.
Then some volunteers from the Amigos Animalistas AC Foundation showed up . Teams often roam the streets of Culiacán providing water and food for strays. The entity also rescues dogs and cats at risk.
the care
The foundation does not yet have a shelter, so it needs to select the animals it takes in – rescued dogs and cats are kept in temporary homes until a family is found to permanently adopt them.
Osito's situation, however, was truly pitiful. The dog was in urgent need of assistance and it was evident from the condition he was in that he would not be able to survive long on his own. The volunteers immediately took the new friend to a veterinary clinic.
The evaluation results were not encouraging. The inflammation had generated a large abscess on one of the hind legs. Blood tests detected a drop in the number of platelets. The dog was heavily anemic and also tested positive for a parasite in his bloodstream.
Osito was rescued just in time. The inflammation was progressing to sepsis (generalized infection) and the abscess would have to be drained as soon as possible. Osito was hospitalized for several days at the clinic. The vets took advantage and spayed the dog.
Now convalescent, the foundation posted Osito's story on social media. In first person, the dog described the misfortunes that had accumulated in a short time in his life. The posts also served to raise funds, which defrayed medical and hospital expenses.
The most important thing, however, was to find a new home for Osito. Some suitors came forward and the choice of foundation fell on the Duarte family, who live in rural Culiacán.
In the last post, the dog “told” that he now has a new house, with a father, mother and three four-legged sisters. He is living on a farm, with lots of space to play and lots of new things to explore.
The story of abandonment causes us indignation. Like Osito, thousands of other dogs and cats live on the streets, without the safety and comfort of a home, exposed to disease, fights, accidents, hunger and cold.
It is possible to understand that some humans cannot or do not want to live with a pet. Each being knows its own availability (or lack thereof) to welcome another being. Abandonment, however, cannot be justified under any circumstances. Dogs and cats can be given to new owners or to shelters, who will be able to take care of them. Throwing an animal into the street is a crime.
