Street Dog Visits Tourist In Her Hammock And ‘Adopts’ Her As His Forever Mom
“There were hundreds of street dogs, but only this one followed me home.”
Mirelle was traveling in Peru with her cousin when she received a welcome that would change her life forever. As she lounged in a hammock outside the cabin where they were staying, a scruffy, skinny dog approached her. He sat quietly by her side, and decided she would be his friend.
The dog’s gentle behavior made it hard to believe he lived on the streets but he began to follow her everywhere she went. That night, he followed Mirelle and her cousin into town for dinner—where she heartbreakingly watched him get attacked by other street dogs—then followed them back to the cabins.
They chose not to feed him, just in case he had a home nearby. But the next morning, Mirelle spotted him again and realized he had stayed by the cabin all night. It was then that she knew for certain —this dog didn’t have a home and she wanted to change that.
That’s when she made her decision. She would bring him back with her to the UK. She named him Paddington and began to formulate a plan.
First, she needed a place for him to stay while he received vaccinations, quarantine for rabies, travel documents, and other medical treatments. A local rescue, Colitas Con Canas, recommended a wonderful boarding home run by Naths Wasicha.
Still, Mirelle wasn’t going to force Paddington into anything. “I decided I would not try and put him on a lead, so if at any point he wanted to leave me he could and I would not take him to the UK. But if he followed me to the taxi we were leaving in, I was taking him—and of course, he never left my side.”
Paddington followed her and was calm and well behaved in the car. Leaving him at the boarding home turned out to be one of the hardest parts of her plan. “Dropping him at his temporary accommodation was so hard. Wish I could have explained to him I’ll see him soon,” she said, after watching Paddington paw at the gate, trying to follow her.
Mirelle asked Naths to keep her updated and send videos. Back in the UK, she was comforted to hear that “Paddington is doing really well in his temporary accommodation and has already made some doggy friends!”
He’s also been microchipped, treated for fleas, and had his first vaccinations. But the rabies shot has to wait. Mirelle explained, “Unfortunately, we have to wait a little while before he can get his rabies jab. If a dog is anaemic (from fleas) or too underweight, the rabies vaccine might not work properly—and he needs to pass an antibody test to be allowed to travel!”
Still, there’s good news: “In the meantime, he’s eating well, gaining strength, and soaking up the love.”
Mirelle estimates it will be about four months before Paddington can finally join her in the UK. When he does, there will be even more love waiting for him in his forever home.
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