Growing up my family was very proactive in reminding me that kindness is something that should always be given freely, seeing as it doesn’t cost you anything to be nice to someone else. And kindness doesn’t always have to include a grand gesture, something as simple as opening the door for someone can have the same impact as any large gesture. Another important lesson they instilled in me was that kindness is for all – not just people. Animals are also very worthy of receiving our kindness, especially since they’re the ones who can’t always pay it back.
The sad reality is that there are so many stray dogs worldwide. And these dogs live very rough lives. They could all use a little kindness. And there is one video that is going viral after it showed the best side of humanity when one man did something genuinely nice for a stray dog when he thought no one was looking. It is so heartwarming!
In Sao Paolo, Brazil, one man named Felipe was with his brother, Fernando Gabriel, in one of the city’s subway stations. Both were waiting in line to purchase tickets when they noticed that there was a stray dog hanging out close to the ticket window. The day was a very cold one, and the poor dog was all alone and shivering – clearly unable to withstand the cold temperatures on his own.
That is when Felipe approached the dog to see if there was anything that he could do for it. He had no idea that his brother, Gabriel, was getting out his camera to record what happened next. Gabriel was a little confused as to why his brother was suddenly stripping down, but then he quickly noticed that he was going to give the dog the literal shirt off his back.
Gabriel shared with The Dodo that Felipe “took off his jacket, sweatshirt, and put his shirt on the puppy who was very cold. He did it spontaneously. It was very moving.”
Not only was the gesture very sweet and caring, but it turned out that the shirt he gave to the stray dog also happened to be his favorite one. But the kind man did jokingly say in a Facebook post, “it looks better on him.”
The dog was very appreciative of the gesture, wagging his tail in thanks to the kindness shown to him. Gabriel and his brother ended up continuing on their way just after the video was filmed. On their way back home, they stopped into the station again to see if the dog was still there. Felipe had every intention of taking him home. Sadly, the dog had moved on by that stage. Felipe regretted that he couldn’t do more for the dog. But he was hopeful that his video will inspire others to be kind to those they encounter who may need help – such as stray animals. In response to all the praise he’s received online, he noted that “There is no way to change the world – but for the things in your reach, you can.” No truer words were spoken.
Watch the wonderful moment in the video below:
