Dogs really are man’s best friend.
Facebook user Maria Kristina Paola Demafelix shared a now-viral post on Tuesday of a dog named Buboy who was taken to see the dead body of his caretaker, a teacher named Carmelito Marcelo, at the St. Louie Memorial Chapel in Mabalacat, Pampanga province.
Demafelix said the 4-year-old dog was taken to see his close hooman friend on Tuesday. In the photos, the white and brown spotted aspin (mixed breed dog) was seen sitting by Marcelo’s coffin.
Demafelix told Coconuts Manila through a Facebook message that Marcelo used to be her professor at the Mabalacat City College and that Buboy is a known campus dog that freely roams their school.
While Marcelo isn’t Buboy’s official owner, he might as well have been. Demafelix told Coconuts that the two formed a strong bond and were inseparable.
“Even when Sir Marcelo didn’t have work, he would go to school just to give Buboy food,” she told Coconuts.
Demafelix said in her Facebook post that Buboy would run to greet Marcelo whenever the dog visits their campus and that the animal would wait outside the faculty room during lunchtime to get food from him.
Whenever Marcelo had a class to teach, Buboy would go with him. “Wherever he would go, Buboy would follow,” Demafelix said in Filipino. “Even when Sir Marcelo would head home, Buboy would escort him to the [school] gate.”
She told Coconuts that Marcelo had a stroke early last week and was brought to the ICU. On Friday, they thought he would recover because he woke up and seemed ok, but on Saturday, he passed away.
Demafelix said she saw Buboy on Monday scratching his paw on the faculty room’s door, as if he were knocking. “Buboy had no clue [that Marcelo had died],” she shared.
She said that when it was time to go home from Marcelo’s wake on Tuesday, Buboy didn’t want to let go of or leave Marcelo’s coffin.
Demafelix said, however, that even though Marcelo has departed, Buboy is being taken care of by the faculty and students of Mabalacat City College.
Demafelix’s Facebook post had over 138,000 likes and 75,000 shares as of this article’s posting. Many netizens thought the photos were bittersweet and drew comparisons to the Japanese Akita dog Hachiko, known for his loyalty to his owner.
“Dogs have hearts, sometimes even bigger than other humans,” said Mary Jean Gonzales.
Ricklene Lagasca said: “It’s saddening and makes me want to cry. I feel sadness for Buboy.”
Mary Rose Rivera thanked Marcelo for loving Buboy.
Have you ever experienced having a pet as loyal as Buboy? Leave a comment below or tweet us @CoconutsManila.
