A woman whose dog leaped into a public fountain in Spain to cool off on a hot day had a hard time retrieving the enthusiastic pup.
Footage of her efforts has since gone viral.
Anina Castillo Peláez, who lives in Ourense in Galicia, northern Spain, was at a pet-friendly cafe when her dog, Vela, wrestled free from her leash secured to Ms. Peláez’s chair.
“She was biting the leash,” Ms. Peláez told Ourense radio host Fernando Casanova in an interview that was shared with The Epoch Times. “I began to see people laughing, and I realized it was Vela that had escaped to the fountain.”
In hilarious footage of Vela’s break for freedom, the pup can be spotted splashing in a public fountain. Ms. Peláez tries in vain to grab her dog but it seems like Vela was just having a lot of fun.
As an amused crowd gathers, Ms. Peláez admits defeat and climbs into the fountain herself to get her dog out.
After running behind the pup, it took two attempts to retrieve Vela from her cooling-off spot.
Ms. Peláez said dogs have very few places to cool off in hot weather. In rivers, they need to be tied, while in swimming pools, only people are allowed, and in fountains, she believes that they can fine you.
“In addition, they put products in the fountain and they are not usually very good for animals,” she said.
As an alternative for animals to cool off during the summer, Ms. Peláez suggests that there should be parks with water jets just like the ones they have for children.
Since posting the now-viral video on social media, Vela’s antics have amassed comments from all over the world. “At least it’s something joyful,” Ms. Peláez said. “Not everything needs to be criticism and bad news; here is a dog having a good time!”
Two-and-a-half-year-old Vela was originally destined for an animal rescue, but when Ms. Peláez met the mixed-breed pup, she fell in love and decided to keep her. Now the pair seems inseparable, spending up to 24 hours a day together.
Sharing more about her personality, Ms. Peláez said: “She has a lot of energy and she loves water in summer. ... She has thrown me into the pool with her, with a leash and everything.”
For Ms. Peláez who is a long-term cat lover, Vela happens to be her first dog.
She said: “At first I did not want to have a dog, but we understood each other very well from the first day. ... She brings me much happiness, joy, and calm.”
There’s a serious message behind the viral video too. Ms. Peláez said big dogs are often misunderstood, but they have valid needs too.
