When Mirelle Radley planned a trip to Peru with her cousin, Adam, she was excited to go sightseeing in a new country. She had no idea that, within just a few hours of being there, she would meet a forever friend.
It all started shortly after Radley arrived at her cabin for the first time. The experienced traveler unpacked, walked into town for lunch, then returned to the cabin to read in the backyard. She’d just sat in the hammock and opened her book when she felt someone’s presence.
“I felt something nudge my arm and looked down and saw this little dog trying to get my attention,” Radley told The Dodo. “That was the first time I saw him. I hadn’t seen him around before.”
Radley had encountered countless stray dogs in her previous travels, but this pup seemed different. Instead of sniffing Radley and walking away, he stayed by her side for hours, perfectly content with keeping her company while she read. She showered the dog with affection, gave him snacks and eventually retired to the cabin for the night.
When she woke up the next morning, the loyal dog was right where she’d left him. That’s when she knew he was special.
“After seeing that he had sat outside the cabin all night, and he obviously didn’t have a home, my cousin said, ‘You could call him Paddington,’ and then he was named, and then I had to keep him,” Radley said.
You can watch that moment here:
Radley, a UK resident, instantly decided to keep Paddington and began researching how to travel with him internationally. With only a few days in town, figuring out the logistics of transporting Paddington was overwhelming, but the sweet boy’s presence made it all worthwhile. No matter where Radley went, Paddington followed closely behind.
“He followed me literally everywhere when we would walk the mile or so into town. He just walked right at my heel the whole way,” Radley said. “He literally stuck to me like glue the entire time I was there. I have never seen a dog heel so well to somebody they don’t know, never mind an untrained street dog.”
Somehow, Paddington knew that Radley was his person, and he refused to let her out of sight. On one of her last days in town, Radley had booked a horseback riding tour. She left Paddington a delicious treat at home, hoping he wouldn’t follow her into the mountains for the tour. To her surprise, the distraction worked, and Paddington stayed behind while she went on her tour.
But when the group trotted past her cabin at the end of the tour, Paddington recognized her immediately.
“He looked up and saw me,” Radley said. “I was hoping he would not realise it was me and stay by the house, but he knew and came after us into the town.”
Paddington was, by far, the friendliest street dog Radley had ever met. Despite his heartbreaking past of neglect, Paddington seemed happier than ever when around his favorite people.
“Some [dogs] would come up reluctantly and say hello, but he was the only one that followed me around,” Radley said. “He just looked like he wanted friends. He just wanted people to like him.”
Thankfully, Radley promised to give Paddington exactly what he wanted. While he couldn’t travel right away due to needing a rabies vaccine and an extended quarantine, she refused to leave him on the street. She found a temporary boarding facility with the help of a local rescue called Colitas Con Canas, where he could quarantine before traveling to the UK.
Radley dropped Paddington off with his new caregiver, Naths, of Naths Wasicha, before her flight out of Peru. It was a heartwrenching goodbye, but Radley promised the pup they would see each other again soon.
“I was super sad when I was leaving, which wasn’t helped by the fact that, as I was leaving, he was trying to paw at the gate to follow me,” Radley said.
It’s been a few weeks since Radley and Paddington parted ways, and the sweet boy has settled into his boarding home. Naths sends Radley regular updates on Paddington, including videos of him playing with a terrier friend.
Radley anticipates that Paddington will be ready to travel in four months, and she can’t wait to reunite with her favorite boy. In the meantime, Paddington will keep playing with his boarding friends while Radley plans his exciting homecoming.
“[He’ll] experience all the fun things, like picking up his own toy from the pet shop, going to get a pup cup, and going on lots of lovely road trips and walks,” Radley said.
To keep up with Paddington’s journey home, you can follow him on Instagram.
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