AN ELDERLY man with Alzheimer's who went missing in Burriana (Castellón province) had a guardian angel to keep him company overnight – a dog whom he had never met before and who appears to be homeless.
The 75-year-old, who has not been named, left his home yesterday (Thursday) evening and had not returned by nightfall, leading to his family raising the alarm.
He was found this morning (Friday) in the rural Molí del Arròs area, disoriented and suffering from slight hypothermia, but otherwise well.
A dog who did not belong to him – described as a medium-sized mongrel – sat with the missing man all night, curling around him to keep him warm when the temperature dropped and, when paramedics arrived to take the pensioner for a check-up, the dog (pictured) refused to leave him and insisted on getting into the ambulance with him.
Local Police, when loose dogs are found with no owners, normally check for microchip information and contact the nearest animal shelter – but this time, the missing man's family say they want to adopt him as a family pet thanks to his 'noble' and 'loyal' actions.
Unless it turns out the dog belongs to someone and has gone missing, he will soon be living with the Burriana family for good.
The above photograph of the dog was taken by Burriana Local Police.
