On November 27, Gregorio Romero, known as “Don Goyo”, an 84-year-old man left his home in a neighborhood of Moctezuma, in the Mexican state of Sonora, and has not returned. His family didn’t immediately worry: the man, despite his age, used to visit nearby cities. But after four days, not seeing him return, his niece Ramona began to worry given the memory loss that the man had recently been suffering from. His relatives searched the city for him, but could not find him. They then decided to report her missing.
The authorities immediately set out in search of Don Goyo, also aided by a specialized dog. The elderly man was later found on 5 December and another dog led the police, one that the 84-year-old knows well because he lives with him: it is El Palomo (literally “the pigeon”), a mixed-breed dog from two years that he joined the research group and thanks to his sense of smell he found don Goyo in uninhabited land, among hills, paths and ravines three kilometers from his home.
Don Goyo was diagnosed with a state of dehydration and malnutrition which forced him to stay in hospital for several days, but El Palomo never wanted to leave the facility as demonstrated by some images that see him in front of the hospital door in waiting to see his elderly human friend again.
“There is no doubt that the love that animals feel for their owners, when they are treated well, manifests itself in many ways: tail wagging, jumping, whimpering, licking and silent, permanent companionship, but in the case of” El Palomo, “Don Gregorio’s puppy, the love of dogs went beyond expectations. It helped save his life,” said the Sonora prosecutor who told the story of the four-legged hero.
