Chilean Miner’s Urgent Question

Many television viewers got goose bumps—and were a little teary-eyed—when Mario Sepulveda, the second rescued Chilean miner, jubilantly roused the crowd into cheering along with him: “Chi! Chi! Chi! Le! Le! Le!” But he touched our hearts with the three little words that he spoke to his wife upon emerging from the underground dungeon: “Como está la perra? (How’s the dog?)”

Vacationers who leave their beloved animals behind at home know that the pining can be intense—for both humans and mystified animals (“Where did they go?” “Are they ever coming back?”)—long before day six rolls around. Imagine how much Mr. Sepulveda and his friend missed each other after being apart for more than 69 days.

To celebrate Mr. Sepulveda’s joyous reunion with his dog, PETA is sending him a gift basket full of dog treats and toys.

Written by Karin Bennett