When this guy found a starving dog on an island in the middle of the Amazon, he knew exactly what to do.
The video of David Foster’s incredible story was shared onto YouTube by The Dodo and already has over 374,000 hits and 20k likes. David shares adorable footage of the dog he rescued and narrates the video so that we will hear all about how he conducted this amazing act of kindness.
David and his travel buddies were exploring a foreign island in the Amazon in Brazil once they found a heartbreaking sight. “We saw a really small shadow.” David said. “I was wondering what this small animal was – it had been such a pitiful sight. I couldn’t believe what I used to be watching .” At first glance, the pooch, named Negrita, didn’t appear to be a dog. She was so skinny that her bones jutted out and it had been clear that the poor thing was starving. David knew that she needed urgent help. Despite being isolated for many of her life on a foreign island, Negrita put all her trust into the humans – almost as if she knew that they were getting to rescue her. “This wasn't an aggressive dog, this was a dog trying to find help,” David said. “She was greeting everybody; the tail was wagging. I used to be just watching her thinking ‘what can we do here?'”
David decided that he didn’t have it in his heart to go away Negrita behind. She desperately needed help and he was getting to provide it to her. He said: “I said right, this dog isn't staying on this beach another minute. She was approaching the boat and that I didn’t skills, but she was coming.”
So, without further ado, David and his friends headed back to the mainland on the boat – now with an additional passenger. David’s thoughts then turned to getting the frail dog something to eat and drink. “The very first thing I assumed is, this dog is starving. She’s starving to death; she must eat.” He shared the instant that Negrita was given her first proper meal, and you'll see just how hungry the sweet pooch is as she is presented with her very own bowl of dog biscuits.
Next, David took her to a close-by veterinary center whilst he tried to work out how he was getting to get Negrita back home with him. The journey to the mainland itself would take four days, and David’s vacation only had a few of days left before he was meant to be moving onto another place. But during a huge act of kindness, David canceled his upcoming trip to remain with the pooch. That they had already formed a bond, and he couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her. “To me, she clinged tons ,” he said. “I was probably clinging to her too, but the ties were cemented at now. There was no turning back. We went through this journey together, and that's it. There was no stopping us now.”
It took many months of medical tests before Negrita was allowed to go away Brazil, and each minute apart felt like time wasted. But after five months, David finally got the news that he had been waiting bye-bye for. Negrita was finally ready to fly back to Northern Ireland to be with her new owner. David was absolutely over the moon and said: “Once we got through that hurdle, I actually couldn’t believe it.” Although she was happy to be back together with her owner, Negrita took a while to adapt to this new way of living. She had only ever been wont to be living on an island, and consistent with David, she “didn’t skills to dog.” However, with the love and patience provided by David, she soon began to blossom. She is now ready to walk next to other dogs and is becoming more trusting of others. “This wasn't work,” David said. “This was just moving forward with an animal that needed help.”
David and Negrita now enjoy walks down the beach together – though, granted, the beaches in Northern Ireland are probably different from the beaches in Brazil that Negrita was so accustomed to! David cherishes every moment he spends with his dog and concludes: “I do reminisce at this going, ‘I can’t believe this happened.’ I will be able to work for the remainder of my life to stay her happy.” What a gorgeous story! Watch the touching video below. Please SHARE this with your friends and family.