Dogs are amazing creatures and Lilica, a Brazilian stray,
is a perfect example of that. She lives in a junkyard, hangs out with a
motley crew, and she makes sure her friends never go hungry. Every
night, Lilica walks four miles in the dark, braving the rush hour
traffic, just to bring food back to the other animals in her ‘family’ – a
dog, a cat, a few chickens and a mule.
Lilica was abandoned at a junkyard in San Carlos, Brazil,
when she was just a puppy. Neile Vaina Antonio, the junkyard caretaker,
took her in and cared for her. As she grew, she became friends with all
the other animals in the junkyard. It appears that they offer each other
warmth, companionship and solidarity.
Three years ago, Lilica was pregnant and had eight puppies.
As her responsibilities grew, she knew she had to find a way to provide
food for her cubs, as there was little to be found at the junkyard.
That’s when she started going out at night, walking for miles, in search
of scraps. During one of her nightly travels, Lilica was lucky enough
to meet dog-lover Lucia, who took pity on her.
Lucia, a teacher by profession said she noticed Lilica
roaming the streets and realized the poor dog was looking for food. “She
walked and sniffed the garbage bins – that called my attention,” Lucia
said. “I thought she was homeless because she was searching for food. It
was then that I offered her some food.”
“One day, she stopped eating, grabbed the open food bag and
ran away with it. And the food was dropping from the bag along the way.
Then, the following day when she finished eating I tied the bag. And
she took it. From there on, that’s how we do it. I tie the bag and she
carries it.”
One day, Lucia followed Lilica, and discovered why she took
the bag every night. It turns out that she was carrying the food back
to the junkyard. “In the beginning, she brought food to her puppies, but
in time she began bringing food for the other animals here in the
junkyard as well,” said Neile. “Her attitude is different, the look of
her eyes is different.”
The puppies were eventually adopted but Lilica didn’t stop.
For the past three years, she has been walking the four-mile distance
from the junkyard to Lucia’s home every night. Lucia follows her daily
routine as well – she leaves home precisely at 9pm and waits for Lilica
at an empty lot nearby. The dog arrives promptly to eat and collect her
take away.
“I don’t travel, I don’t go to places and stay for too long
because of her,” said Lucia. Because I know she relies on me, so it’s a
commitment that I have with her, and a commitment she has with me too
‘cause she comes every day.”
“We as human beings barely share things with others,” Neile
said . “But an animal sharing things with other animals is a lesson for
us.”
Yes, indeed!
See ya, eh!
Bob
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