A rescue amid the rubble
In the aftermath of the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck western Colombia, a story of sacrifice has emerged. Michael Ruiz, holding the small dog Salomon in his arms, recounted how he found the pet next to his sister Lenny's body among the debris in the city of Pasto. Lenny, a lawyer, had shielded Salomon with her body when their building collapsed in Cali, one of the cities hardest hit by the quake.
"My sister gave her life for him because she was holding him against her chest, and the whole structure fell on top of her," Ruiz told AFP through tears. He described the act as a love story: "I see it as a love story, because obviously she loved that little animal… when you love something, you protect it."
Salomon, a 12-year-old dog suffering from epileptic seizures that left him blind, was found alive after Ruiz and rescuers dug through the debris. The earthquake struck on Aug 10 and has killed at least 294 people and injured nearly 4,000 others, according to authorities.
Mourning and hope
Jessica Florez, Lenny's sister-in-law, said the dog is sad over his owner's passing. A video of Salomon lying on top of Lenny's coffin has been viewed tens of thousands of times on social media. "I brought him close to her coffin so he could say goodbye," Florez said.
The story of Lenny and Salomon has spread widely online, even as many residents remained desperate to locate their pets after the disaster. Six days after the quake, many pet owners still held onto hope that their missing animals would be found alive.