Peruvian John Alexander Palomino Bendives had just returned home on Wednesday the 6th from a two week stint in the field, looking forward towards a little relaxation and down time.
He had just picked up his girlfriend and they returned to the apartment that John shares with his mother and their four dogs.
Their apartment is on the rooftop, and his arrival didn’t go unnoticed, as all the dogs, including Mina, were peering down over the railing, excited to see him home.
Having either lost her balance and slipped or misjudging the distance, Mina began falling to the street below.
( the only video is in Spanish, however……
…… wait for it….. )
Said John, "She was OK, unharmed. Mina was happy and grateful, as you can see in the video. She didn't stop wagging her tail out of happiness.
We’re putting up a mesh barrier on the roof so that they can continue to sit up there, but without the risk of falling again.
I love my pets very much. They always receive me with a lot of love and emotion. The time I spend at home, I try to spend as much time as possible with them."
Phew.
But rivalling and even surpassing this bit of heroism happened in Bogota, Columbia.
Diego Andrés Dávila Jimenez was doing some work in his 13th-floor apartment that he shares with his mom and dog when he heard a commotion outside and looked out his window.
It was from a crowd below who was watching up in fear.
His next-door neighbor's dog, Luna, had slipped between the rails of the balcony and was hanging by just her back legs.
"People on the ground were screaming. They had a mattress out just in case.
The truth is, I did not think about the dire consequences. I did not look down.
When I had Luna in my hands and looked down, a thousand thoughts flew through my mind. My girlfriend was a little upset, yelling at me, 'You stay there! Do not climb back down!'"
After Luna’s mom came home, "She was in tears. She is very grateful, because she just adores that dog."
Even after being praised by near everyone, Diego didn’t come away unscathed.
No, not by a long shot.
"I received a lot of scolding from my mother.
A lot of scolding.
A lot.”