The other day, Myriam Rangel was visiting a food market near her home in Tepic, Mexico, when a touching scene began to unfold before her eyes.
It was a brief glimpse at the loving bond between two friendly dogs.
Passing by the market, Rangel noticed one of the dogs, who was missing a rear leg, appeared to be attempting in vain to scratch an itch with that nonexistent appendage. The movement was somewhat subtle, and its intent not terribly obvious.
But it soon became clear that Rangel wasn’t the only one who saw and understood.
As Rangel looked on, the three-legged dog’s four-legged companion arrived to his side — and began to scratch the elusive itch for him.
It was an act of pure kindness:
Rangel, who makes it a habit to feed homeless dogs in her community, initially believed the pups to be strays or abandoned pets. But after posting the clip above online, several locals familiar with the dogs commented that they do indeed have an owner — perhaps a vendor at the market whom they accompany to work.
But while some questions remain about the dogs’ origins, this snapshot of their bond nevertheless speaks volumes.
“[Dogs] are love,” Rangel wrote of her video. “This is a small example.”