A loyal dog hung around a train station for a month waiting for the return of his owner, who had sadly died there.
Toto the dog was with owner Facundo Brusco in El Jaguel, in the eastern Argentine province of Buenos Aires, when he died on August 14.
Brusco’s mother, Karina, said the cute pup used to accompany her son as he made his way to work. Before long, the 27-year-old adopted him and started spending every day with his beloved new pet.
Brusco is said to have been seeing a mental health professional, however after struggling with depression for years he reportedly committed suicide at the train station.
In the following weeks, Toto remained faithful to his owner and he was regularly spotted waiting beside the railway track where the incident took place. Local residents were touched by the sad scene and a number of them reached out to help Toto by bringing him food and creating a makeshift shelter to keep the lonely pup dry on rainy days.
About a month after Brusco’s death, the Patitas Glew animal association were made aware of Toto and set out to rescue him.
Patitas Glew is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to helping stray dogs in the city of Glew by feeding them, offering medical attention, sterilising and protecting them. They focus on rescue, recovery and responsible adoption while also raising awareness about abandonment and animal abuse.
One of the association’s members, Sol, described Toto as being ‘very suspicious and a little scared’ when the staff arrived but he went with them to a shelter.
In the hopes of finding him a new home, Patitas Glew shared a picture of Toto on social media, where Brusco’s mother came across it.
She responded to the post and decided to take in her son’s dog, so even after he lost his loving owner Toto remained with family.
Karina told local media Toto was scared at first but thankfully he soon settled in and ‘now [he] feels at home’. Patitas Glew provide support and advice to those people adopting dogs, so hopefully Toto will be well loved and cared for in his new home.
I’m sure he’ll be just as loyal to Karina as he was to her son.
If you’re experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They’re open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year.
Their national number is 0800 58 58 58, and they also have a webchat service if you’re not comfortable talking on the phone.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.