Corchito the rescue dog lives in Dickens café, in the Buenos Aires province of Argentina, and has become a precious companion for many who visit.
When the adorable canine senses someone is lonely, he goes right on over to sit with them. He has an affinity for the elderly, such as the recently widowed gentleman who comes to spend evenings in Corchito’s company.
Camila Galland, 41, began working at Dickens 17 years ago, though the café has existed for many years in Argentina’s Chivilcoy city. Later, her family acquired the business, and she is now the proprietor of the bustling little social center that caters mostly to families and older people. The café is open from 7 o‘clock until 1 o’clock the following morning and has many regulars.
Over the years, the hardworking Ms. Galland and her team have helped save many dogs from life on the streets, working alongside a local animal shelter.
“There are many who went through the café and today are in a home,” Ms. Galland told The Epoch Times. “Others remained, like Corchito, Puccini, Manuel, Hugo, and Cappucina.”
Corchito, the friendliest of them all, came into their lives seven years ago.“One sunny afternoon he entered the café for the first time and never left,” she said.
Over time, Dickens’s staff found out that the dog had belonged to a family that moved house, leaving Corchito alone to wander the neighborhood until he reached their café.
Ms. Galland estimates that at that time he would have been around 6 years old, but he approached them as if they had known each other all their lives. Before him, there were other puppies, but he is the most “charismatic one,” she says.
Corchito, ‘Corky’ in English, was so named because when he first arrived, the family was making an arrangement out of bottle corks, and the dog made an amusing game out of disturbing their handiwork.
“It seems he chose his name,” Ms. Galland said.
From the very first day, Corchito was also clearly interested in people, arriving to sit with them at their tables.
“He prefers to be with old, lonely people, and many customers even come to sit with him to beat their loneliness. Corchito is loved by everyone, regardless of age. Children adore him too. It’s really touching to see him blend in and it seems like he’s chatting with people,” Ms. Galland said.
Corchito has several favorite customers. Besides the man who sadly lost his wife, another senior who lives in a nursing home will take trips to visit the beloved dog, joyfully singing tangos to him.
“There are many stories like that,” Ms. Galland said. “It’s the essence of the place, and the animal.”
The very first dog who found a safe refuge at Dickens was named Puccini. He lived there for 18 content years and passed away in November of last year. Not only do portraits of him hang on the walls, but Puccini has his very own commemorative plaque displayed in the bar.
Following in the legendary Puccini’s pawprints, Corchito is a star in his own right. Having been featured in several news stories thanks to his extraordinarily comforting behavior, the dog who was once lost is now the happy subject of a lot of attention.
“There are many people who come just to see him, even from abroad,” Ms. Galland said.
Describing Corchito’s personality as “calm, silent, understanding,“ Ms. Galland said: ”He’s such a good friend and companion. He is happy when we arrive or someone very close to him arrives, and he accepts other animals well.”
