There’s a saying: “Every ending is a beginning. We just don’t realize it at the time.” This is exactly what happened to animal rescuer Lidia Elizabeth Reyes Cespedes in Chile.
As she was heading to a quiet spot to lay her old dog, Viejito, to rest, Lidia was unexpectedly greeted by an abandoned puppy.
More info: Lidia Elizabeth Reyes Cespedes
Lidia was astonished when an abandoned puppy appeared just as she was saying goodbye to her old dog.
Lidia Elizabeth Reyes Cespedes is widely recognized for her compassion and dedication to rescuing animals. Her social media accounts are filled with touching stories of the countless animals she has helped.
Last year, Cespedes found an elderly stray dog near her home in Chile. Understanding that older dogs often have a harder time finding adoptive families, she chose to care for him herself. She named the dog Viejito, meaning “Little Old Man,” and promised to provide him with the love and warmth he had missed out on.
“I told him I would give him a decent life for the time he had left. I expected him to live for six months, but he lived for a year,” Cespedes recalled.
Following Viejito’s passing, Cespedes and a friend went into the countryside to find a quiet spot to lay him to rest. As they were preparing to bury Viejito, they were startled by the sound of whimpering.
“We found a spot under a tree where we planned to bury Viejito,” Cespedes said. “Then we heard a puppy whimpering. We turned around and saw this little dog. There was no one else around.”
The puppy, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, was very happy to see Cespedes. She was struck by the timing, as the puppy arrived just as she was saying her final goodbye to Viejito.
Even more remarkably, while Cespedes dug the grave for Viejito, the puppy stayed nearby, quietly observing. After the burial, the puppy lay down on the mound where Viejito had been laid to rest.
As Cespedes and her friend prepared to leave, the puppy followed them. Moved by the coincidence and the puppy’s gentle presence, Cespedes decided to take him with her. She named him Nube and hoped to find him a loving home.
There are approximately 2.5 million stray dogs in Chile and nearly 200 million worldwide. Many of these dogs end up in shelters, but adoption rates are often low.
Lidia Elizabeth Reyes Cespedes is among those making a significant impact by demonstrating that extra care and unconditional love can make a profound difference.
Genuine love, once given, often comes back in unexpected ways. For Cespedes, it came in the form of a small white puppy, offering a new chance for companionship and care.
