From Street Dog To Soul Dog: My Unforgettable Journey With Max Galito

A while back I wrote about feeling unsure if I was ready for another dog because of losing my first dog 2 months before moving to Mexico. Even though homeless dogs surround me, I didn’t think I had it in me to rescue another. That was until one caught my attention. 

During one of my evening strolls, a medium-size, brown, malnourished dog scurried up to me. He was close enough for me to look into his eyes but far enough away to feel safe around a stranger. From the first day I saw him, I knew I had to help him. 

Because I was subletting a room in a home where the owner had a dog and no other animals were allowed, I first contacted local rescue centers but each one said they were overwhelmed with dogs and couldn’t accept anymore. I knew I couldn’t let him starve, so I started feeding him two to three times each day. I’d come outside and walk to the corner where he’d be waiting for me. Over the next few weeks, he started to get more comfortable and I started researching the meaning of names. I came across the name Max which means, “the greatest, associated with strength and power.”  I knew that was the perfect name for a resilient street dog. 

Something changed within me when I became a dog owner. And after Asher was gone, I didn’ think I could give my energy to another dog, not at least for a few years. But that was before I met Max. One day while I was feeding him my neighbor, Javier, walked up to me and thanked me for helping the dog. He said he always calls him Galito. At that moment, I decided to merge this little dog’s worlds through his name. Calling him Max Galito would represent his journey from street dog to being rescued.  He just didn’t know it yet.

I decided to move out of my housing choice #4 for a few reasons, one being I knew I wanted to take care of Max Galito. I found my place and left town for vacation. When I returned, Javier shared some sad news. He hadn’t seen Max Galito for over 3 days and was worried that the unexpected cold, rainy weather took him too far from the neighborhood. I didn’t know what to do. In two days I was moving to my new place, and I had hoped to bring him with me.

The day before my move, I was about a 25 minute walk away from home. While heading back, I was standing at a corner waiting for the light to change. That’s when I felt something brush up against my leg. I looked down and there stood Max Galito staring up at me. I was so excited and after fake scolding him for being so far from his side of town, I searched my purse and found one small pouch of dog food. I told him if he followed me home, I’d take care of him forever.

It took us 40 minutes to get to Javier’s house because I had to continue to encourage Max Galito to keep walking. When we arrived, my neighbor agreed to watch him for the night so I could spend the next day signing my new lease. After I got my keys and with 2 hot dogs in tow, me, Max Galito, and Javier walked to my new home.

In this new place, me and Max Galito could now start a new chapter of our life…together.

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