During a family vacation to the beach near her home in Peru, a woman came upon a tiny dog lying all alone and watching the surf. As it turned out, there was a wonderful, heartbreaking story behind his sea-gazing.

Jolie Mejía, 23, of Lima, first noticed the dog on the neighboring sandy sands of Punta Negra on Feb. 27. He approached, and was friendly.

Mejía, a marketing student, told The Epoch Times that the dog didn’t seem to be abandoned since “his fur looked fine and he had a green ribbon around his neck.” She thought his owner must be somewhere on the beach, maybe swimming in the sea.

“He was incredibly quiet and had a pleasant look in his eyes,” Mejía recounted. “At first, he laid down with us but kept his distance. After a few minutes, I kept patting him … and snapping photographs, until a local man passed by and recognized the dog.”

The guy told Mejía that the small dog’s name was Vaguito, meaning wanderer in English.

“I thought he was his owner,” she said. “I replied something like, ‘Hey, don’t worry, I’m bringing you back your dog!’ in a friendly way, but then he stated Vaguito was not his dog. He added Vaguito was a tremendously popular dog on the beach; every local neighbor knew him and adored him.”

It was then that Mejía learnt the terrible story behind the dog’s seashore vigil.

Vaguito’s owner, a fisherman, had passed away about a year previously, and the devoted dog returned to the shore every day, waiting patiently for his boat to come in.

“He became excited every time he saw boats or other fisherman in the sea,” Mejía said. “I felt genuinely affected by his story. He was such an angel, it hurt my heart that he would never find his owner again, yet at the same time, his love inspired me so much.”

Mejía asked the local homeowner she met at the shore whether Vaguito needed a home, but he told her that neighbors were taking good care of the dog, giving him with food, housing, and medical treatment. The green ribbon around his neck had come from the local vet. Mejía had another idea; she would publish Vaguito’s story on social media in hopes of motivating her friends to visit the lonely dog.

“I thought it was the best way to assist him, giving him as much love as possible,” she reasoned. “Taking Vaguito away from that beach would definitely injure him more than helping him. His home and purpose was now there.”

Mejía rushed to Twitter to tell the lonely pup’s experience.

“This gorgeous infant impacted me on the beach. A guy told us that this is his home now … his owner was a fisherman who passed away a time ago,” she stated, as translated from Spanish. “Since then, he glances at the sea every day, and gets excited every time he sees boats.”

The tweet went viral. Many replied with love and empathy for the small dog and the owner he lost.

Mejía has not returned to Punta Negra since seeing Vaguito and doesn’t know how he is doing. Yet, she feels it is crucial for all people to recognize that a human friend means everything to a dog.

“Their love is infinite,” she told The Epoch Times. “I hope that this story motivates others to take care of their dogs, and give them all the love they deserve.”