A loyal dog has been filmed patiently waiting next to its friend after it was hit by a car.
The stray dog was knocked down on a main road in Brazil on February 14, and injured so badly it was unable to get back up.
Another dog of the same breed was seen taking care of it, licking it and standing guard.
Passersby noticed what was happening and shared pictures on social media and Whatsapp, which got the attention of a local animal NGO who came to help.
When they arrived the following morning, the two dogs were still in the same place in Iguatu.
Nurse Marina Assuncao told local media: ‘We were unable to go to the location on Sunday afternoon because we had no available vets, but on Monday morning we received news that both of them were in the same place. I went there with my friend, who is a vet, and we took the injured dog to a clinic.’
Marina revealed that the caring dog became aggressive when the women first approached the pair, but they managed to win over its trust.
She told local media: ‘It stayed close to the injured dog the whole time, it licked it and ran its paws over its body as if it were trying to revive it.
‘When we put the injured dog in the car, the other one had already jumped on the seat and stayed with its pal right up to the moment it received treatment in the clinic.’
The injured animal was medicated and also given food and water. It is still unable to walk and it will soon be seen by an orthopaedist in a nearby municipality to see if it suffered any fractures to the ribs or spine.
The NGO, Adota Iguatu (Adopt Iguatu), is currently campaigning online to raise funds to continue the animal’s treatment.
While the injured dog awaits its appointment with the orthopaedist, the two dogs, named Caju and Castanha, have been provided with a temporary home where the injured animal is receiving ongoing care.
Marina told local media: ‘We are not sure if they are siblings. They must be the same age, between nine months and one year old, but we were taken by the companionship displayed by the other dog towards the injured one the whole time, from the moment of the accident to the arrival at the clinic and now at their temporary home.’
The NGO hopes the pair will later be put up for adoption together – and have already received interest.
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