After Brazil flooding, loyalty to the dead
January 17th, 2011
06:10 PM ET

After Brazil flooding, loyalty to the dead

As the death toll from devastating flooding in Brazil continues to rise, a single picture drives home the sense of loss.

Leao, a medium-sized brown mutt,  lies next to the grave of her owner, Cristina Maria Cesario Santana, who died in the catastrophic landslides caused by heavy rain.  This AFP/Getty picture was taken on Saturday, the second consecutive day that the dog refused to leave the woman's grave at the cemetery in Teresopolis, near Rio de Janiero.

Brazilians are bracing for more rain, fearing more landslides after waves of muddy water swallowed towns in the country's worst flood disaster on record.

At least 655 deaths were reported in a mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state, northeast of the city of Rio.

FULL STORY
Post by:
Filed under: Animals • Brazil • Weather
soundoff (563 Responses)
  1. Sleeping Beauty

    What a heartbreaking picture. Animals are the most loyal blessings on earth.

    January 18, 2011 at 11:12 am | Report abuse |
  2. JL

    Greyfriars Bobby

    January 18, 2011 at 11:12 am | Report abuse |
  3. Sleeping Beauty

    I should also add that although this is a heartbreaking picture of the dog. This is also a heartbreaking picture of all the graves. So many lives were lost to this tragedy and we all need to be on our knees praying.

    January 18, 2011 at 11:13 am | Report abuse |
  4. Mittens

    Bottom line: I just hope someone is feeding this little dog!

    January 18, 2011 at 11:14 am | Report abuse |
  5. Shawn

    tears......this is so sad.

    January 18, 2011 at 11:20 am | Report abuse |
  6. capn. slapaho

    Wow, props to the guy who took advantage of the photo opportunity. This is not the first time dogs have slept near their masters graves. Reading articles like these just make me think of my big, dopey, loveable white lab waiting for me at home 🙂 1 more hour!

    January 18, 2011 at 11:21 am | Report abuse |
  7. Jerry's kids

    EVERYONE- Don't get off subject here!!! Let's get back to the real issue here, JERRY'S PSYCHO WIFE!!!! Ruff-ruff!!

    January 18, 2011 at 11:21 am | Report abuse |
  8. Browny

    WTV. The holy Quran says that dogs are unclean and not man's best freind. Studies have proved again and again that dogs carry disease etc thus proving the quran right

    January 18, 2011 at 11:22 am | Report abuse |
    • Monique Harris

      Jerry,
      I am aware that the Koran says those things about dogs. SOOOOO WHAT??????? That is not the point of the story. Does they Koran say to ignore the suffering of our fellow creatures that GOD put on this earth? I dont think so!!!!! Your remark is just ridiculous and is an insult to Muslims who feel compassion for ALL of God's creatures. You should be ashamed of yourself for using a holy book as a justification of your own lack of compassion and kindness.

      January 19, 2011 at 7:18 pm | Report abuse |
    • Monique Harris

      Sorry the above response was clearly not to Jerry of the Horrible Wife, to that idiot, Browny.

      January 19, 2011 at 7:19 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Kim

    So sad and so sweet all at once... dog's are the best!

    January 18, 2011 at 11:25 am | Report abuse |
  10. Nunya

    Heartbreaking.

    January 18, 2011 at 11:43 am | Report abuse |
  11. Allison

    For those of you who have turned the comments around to

    @Jerry
    I wish my wife loved me and showed me half the compassion that my dogs do. They are all forgiving and don't complain constantly about every little meaningless thing.

    OR
    @duh
    yeah we can totally learn from the animal kingdom. i see my dog eating it's own sh!t all the time

    That is not the point of this photo. The point is to show that the dog is loyal to its owner, and how this photo along with the text..... should show the readers what they are going through over there. How they are suffering in the present and how it will continue into the future.

    Maybe everyone should look at the loving dog, and reread the text one more time before they leave ridiculous comments that are degrading and down right ignorant.

    January 18, 2011 at 11:48 am | Report abuse |
  12. Tom

    Was it Will Rodgers or Mark Twain who said: "If dogs don't go to heaven, then I want to go where they go."? My apologies if not perfectly quoted, but this captures the essence. My sentiments exactly.

    January 18, 2011 at 11:49 am | Report abuse |
  13. tanyakristine

    and did someone get the dog???

    January 18, 2011 at 11:52 am | Report abuse |
    • Silvia

      He was adopted but ran away.

      January 18, 2011 at 12:14 pm | Report abuse |
    • Patricia

      Yes, Leao the dog, was rescued and was adopted by a family
      in Rio, it took more than one person to drag him out of
      his owner side, he cried, jumped and bited, they had to
      mozzle him.
      The picture and the story are real and everybody in Brazil
      rushed to help him and other hundreds more.
      Best

      January 18, 2011 at 3:53 pm | Report abuse |
  14. veggiedude

    Animals don't have feelings. That's why we eat them, remember?

    January 18, 2011 at 11:53 am | Report abuse |
  15. Alina77

    I had a dog for 14 years I was 10 years old when some people gave him to me. He died because In other countries we don't know that dog or other animal can actually have surgery in removing tumor (they just die). After Topic I never had another dog and never wanted it, because I remember the pain of loosing a pet so dear to me, I even don't have a picture of him.

    January 18, 2011 at 11:53 am | Report abuse |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
« Back to main