I’m not sure how it is in other first world countries, but in the United States, I would say our stray animal population is pretty much in control. There are many charities and groups that work tirelessly every day to help stray dogs find new homes and hopefully free them from any kill shelters that still exist throughout the country. As an animal lover myself, whenever I see a stray, I stop if I can and either try to find its owner, or help find it a new home if the owner can’t be found. That being said, traveling abroad in other countries is hard for animal lovers like myself. Trust me.
When I first arrived to Santiago, Chile, it first seemed to me like there was a stray dog every 20-30 feet. As one of the most affluent South American countries, I’m not sure why that is, but it’s still heartbreaking. Every country I’ve been to so far has its problem with stray animals. You might drop a piece or two of bread when walking along to try to help one out, but you quickly learn you can’t help them all. It’s honestly an impossible task. However, an experience I just had in San Pedro de Atacama, Chile just gave me one of the greatest moments of my travels so far.
It was my last night in San Pedro and I decided to rely on Trip Advisor to find me a good restaurant to check out. One of the top places I found was a pizza restaurant nearby, so I decided to give it a shot. My plan was to head to the restaurant, get a pizza to go, bring it back to the hostel, and eat it while researching my next travel stop on the Internet. Apparently, the Universe had a different plan in store for me.
When I arrived at the small pizza place, I realized that it only had room for about 15-20 people and was already full. I placed an order for a vegetarian pizza (feeling in a healthy mood) and they told me it would be an eight minute wait.
I decided to leave and head to a store to pick up a two-liter bottle of water. When I came back to the restaurant two minutes later, I noticed a dog lying in a ball outside of the door on the sidewalk. Looking tired and weary, I decided to sit next to the pup and give him a little attention that I doubt he normally received.
I slowly put my hand on his head and he raised it up in approval. I pulled my hand slowly away and he stood up, wagged his tail a little, and walked closer to where I was sitting. I scratched his head for a little bit and even had a passerby ask me if it was my dog. I smiled, told them no, and just continued to pet him. One of the ladies that worked at the restaurant then stepped out and told me my pizza was ready.
Man’s Best Friend
I got up, walked inside, paid for my pizza, and walked out with a fresh vegetarian pizza in hand. I looked down at the dog to say goodbye, but it was in that moment that the Universe stepped in. I stood there for a second looking at the dog’s face, and without any hesitation decided to sit down next to him. This pizza was now for two.
There were four large slices of pizza and I ate about 80% of each slice and gave him the rest. He sat patiently next to me awaiting each new slice and with no words (or barks) spoken by either of us, it was honestly one of the best meals I’ve experienced in South America. When we were finished I guzzled down some ice cold water, but then thought to myself – if I’m thirsty, he’s definitely thirsty too.
I then ripped the box in half, took one of the sides, and shaped it into a cone with a bend at the bottom. I poured a healthy amount of water into the cone, offered it up to the dog, and he drank every last drop. Once we were both finished, I got up and he walked into the road. A truck began driving close and as he didn’t move out of the way (possibly hard of hearing?) I stepped in front of the truck and lightly tapped the dog on the butt to get him to move along. He ran off acting somewhat afraid and I never saw him again. However, that didn’t change one of the best dinners I’ve had so far in South America.
Maybe it’s because I’m an animal lover, maybe it’s because it makes the soul feel good doing good things, or maybe it’s because the dog and I each made a friend that day – I’m not quite sure why I consider it one of the best meals I’ve had. All I know is that there are a lot of stray animals out there, and if you’re traveling, you’re undoubtedly going to come across hundreds, if not thousands of them, just like me.
We both know you can’t save them all, but the next time you come across one, put yourself in their shoes… or paws, if you may. Even if it’s just one bread crumb or a delicious vegetarian pizza, every bit counts. To you, it will brighten your spirit and day for at least a few short minutes, but to them, it brightens their entire world.
