An unexpected visitor dropped by Gerardo Ortiz’s Peruvian restaurant, Ajilalo, one evening five years ago. It was a stray dog with a hungry expression on her face.
Ortiz had the option of ignoring the dog. He, on the other hand, did not.
Ortiz provided the dog a complimentary lunch cooked especially for her later that evening.
And thus began an endearing custom that lives on to this day.
From then on, the hungry dog would come every evening and receive a free dinner from Ortiz’s restaurant.
It didn’t take long for word of Ortiz’s generosity and goodwill to spread throughout the local stray dog population.
With that initial guest, other dogs began to arrive, and Ortiz greeted them all with a meal.
Every night, a large number of stray dogs arrive at Ortiz’s eatery. Many are frequent “clients,” while others are first-timers, all expecting to be fed by Ortiz’s generosity.
When Ortiz is working, he’ll often look up to find a new dog’s face at the front, respectfully waiting to see if the news of free food is real.
It’s always the case.
“They are the finest clients for me,” Ortiz said to The Dodo.
And his human clients don’t think that’s a slight. They frequently provide food for the visiting dogs, inspired by Ortiz.
“Thankfully,” Ortiz added, “our clients have reacted nicely to the dogs.” “They have a soft spot for them.”
In the end, Ortiz’s pleasant ritual of feeding all the stray dogs who come to visit accomplishes more than just keeping them fed. It shows them that their lives matter, something Ortiz is pleased to demonstrate to them on a daily basis.
“They don’t pay us in cash; they pay us in happiness and wagging tails,” Ortiz explained. “They are appreciative, and we prefer to give rather than receive. Animals have always piqued my interest since I was a youngster. My mother instilled in us the value of assisting others, both humans and animals. She is a source of motivation for me.”
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