When you ask people what “home” means to them, most will answer the first thing that comes to mind… their family. Some people would say that not all houses could be called a home.
A homeless man named Choco did not have a house to live in but still feels very much at home sitting on the stairs of a park together with his 2 dogs in Bucaramanga, Colombia.
One day, Choco was spotted by a passerby sitting on the park steps while celebrating the birthday of his 2 dogs, Shaggy and Nena. The 2 doggies were wearing party hats, and Choco was singing to them a “Happy Birthday” song. While doing so, he lit 2 candles on the cake. After singing, he blew out the candles and kissed each of his dogs.
Using a plastic knife, he cut thin slices of cake for each dog and provided a slice for himself. It was a very touching scene of a birthday celebration with the trio unconcerned of the passersby. The man who captured them on video noticed that Choco was shedding tears at some point.
When the man finally approached Choco during the ongoing birthday celebration to ask if he was okay, he discovered that Choco and his 2 dogs were homeless.
The man also learned that Choco and his dogs have been living on the streets since he left an abusive home situation many years ago. He promised himself that he would take care of his dogs the best way he could despite not having a house to live in.
The man who recorded the doggie birthday party offered to help Choco. When he shared the video on the internet, over 440,000 people viewed the clip, and many citizens started visiting Choco and his dogs at the park. Some of them brought their own dogs for a walk and offered to help Choco.
One kind-hearted individual gifted a phone to Choco, and he signed up for an Instagram account. As of today, he has more than 179,000 followers. Choco hopes to open an animal shelter one day and pursue a music career, which he has always loved.
59% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and 1 missed paycheck can cause them to miss a month’s rent. Eventually, eviction from the place where they live occur if they don’t have a support system. In the United States, there are so many homeless people in various parts of the country.
The most common reasons why people are homeless are due to domestic violence, lack of affordable housing, physical and mental health issues, unemployment and job loss, and addiction.
Having a pet usually relieves the homeless from their loneliness and, most of the time, helps with survival by providing unconditional love, which helps boost their confidence. Addiction decreases out of fear of losing your furry companion. Therefore, creating motivation to take care of yourself and your pet.
▼ Here is the doggie birthday video that touched the hearts of many viewers:
You may follow Choco on his daily adventures by checking out his Instagram page. Click HERE.
Images and Instagram posts credits: © Choco José Luis Matos @soychocco
