This is Nato — a big-hearted Rottweiler who’s making the world a happier place, simply by being himself.
The other day, Nato was visiting the park with his dad, Dan McPierson, when an older man arrived and sat on a bench nearby. Though the man was by himself, Nato seemed to sense that he wasn’t alone by choice.
“As soon as the man sat down, Nato locked eyes with him,” McPierson told The Dodo. “Nato responded positively, but I could see the guy was sad.”
Nato wanted to approach the man, so McPierson gave permission — soon coming to learn that that was exactly what he’d needed.
Here’s video of their interaction:
@natomcpiersonThey looked at each other so long and smiled so I asked…♬ originalljud – Nato McPierson
“After I took the video, the man told me he had a girl dog who was just like Nato in her ways,” McPierson said. “Suddenly, I remembered we had seen him before with that dog. He told me that he had lost her recently, and that it gave him such a good feeling being able to pet Nato.”
The man was mourning his companion. Nato sensed it, and gave him a reason to smile.
McPierson was touched to see his dog brightening the day of someone who needed it most.
While the story may have begun with Nato comforting a stranger, he and his owner and the man they met parted ways as friends. That’s just how things go being in the company of such a sweet and thoughtful dog.
“It’s so normal for him to bond quickly with people that I’m used to it, but I still get surprised. Especially when people cry and tell me their stories,” McPierson said. “We are blessed with this happening to us often.”
