Hero to Adopt Lab Who Stayed By Dead Buddy’s Side

UPDATE: The owners of Grace, whose real name is Maggie, claimed their dog on April 16.

As Eric Reynaga drove down a busy boulevard in La Puente, Calif., last Wednesday morning, he saw something all animal lovers dread – a dead dog lying in the street.

At the dog’s side was a black Labrador Retriever who shivered and cried as cars zoomed by, just inches away.

“As this was happening, people started to gather, taking pictures and video without doing anything to help,” Reynaga wrote in a first-person account posted on examiner.com Thursday. “I stopped, turned on my flashing lights, and proceeded to block the turn lane. I placed cones blocking the slow lane the dogs laid on.”

Reynaga called animal control and then slowly approached the Lab, who showed no aggression. He kneeled beside the frightened dog, trying to calm her.

“It’s disgusting to see how the people I encountered that morning did not have the moral obligation to step in and help,” Reynaga wrote in a comment on the examiner.com story. “They were all just focused on taking video, smiling and probably even posting it on YouTube.” (A graphic, 22-second video recorded on someone’s cell phone was, in fact, posted on YouTube.)

When animal control officers arrived, the Lab ran off, but soon returned to her spot next to her fallen buddy.

The Lab was taken to the Baldwin Park Animal Care Center, where she was appropriately named “Grace.” Although she appears to be well cared for, she was not microchipped and her pet parent has not shown up to claim her.

“She’s amazing,” Aaron Reyes, of the Los Angeles Dept. of Animal Care and Control, told KTLA. “They call dog man’s best friend, but as you can see, she’s clearly that other dog’s best friend as well. We’re so proud of her.”

The brave dog’s loyalty has captured the attention of media around the world.

Grace becomes available for adoption today. Although there’s a long waiting list of potential adopters, Reynaga, the hero who saved her life, is first on the list.

PHOTO: YouTube

Laura Goldman

Laura Goldman is senior social media writer for i Love Dogs, Inc. She does love dogs. And elephants and turtles. Along with writing about the loves of her life, Laura likes to play with her two pound pups and tell anyone who’ll listen just how awesome Pit Bulls are.