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.

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Filed under: Animals • Brazil • Weather
soundoff (563 Responses)
  1. Ales

    Hey people i'm brazilian and this history is totally fake, this dog belongs to the gravedigger of the cemetery, would be beautiful if the history was truth but...anywhere thanks for the support that all people arround the word gave to us

    February 5, 2011 at 11:26 am | Report abuse |
  2. Mario

    This news is not right – This pics is a mistake – please your CNN news are delivering a wrong news – THIS IS THE TRUE...
    http://www.conversaafiada.com.br/pig/2011/01/20/folha-agasalha-barriga-do-caramelo/

    Best Regards
    Mario
    Brazil

    February 6, 2011 at 3:56 pm | Report abuse |
  3. billyunb

    Good morning.
    Actually, is it a moving scene. Congratulations on the picture.
    Leão means lion in Portuguese. It is a masculine name. So, I think the right possessive adjective is "his" in the fragment below, even tough his owner is a women.
    Leao, a medium-sized brown mutt, lies next to the grave of his owner, Cristina...
    Please take a look at spelling of Rio de Janeiro which is misspelled: at the cemetery in Teresopolis, near Rio de "Janiero".
    Greetings.

    February 7, 2011 at 3:39 am | Report abuse |
  4. kiki

    What REALLY upset me are the comments: No a single one showed compassion for the suffering of the people!!!!!! Common!!! Have we all lost our humanity? People died, lost loved ones, their properties and everyone is crying for a dog who has his master alive, is fed and is simply resting........wake up !!!!!

    February 10, 2011 at 12:15 pm | Report abuse |
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