Delivery man takes dog around SP to feed stray dogs – 07/17/2023 – Market

Miguel Pereira de Souza, 51, and his dog Ruby ride around the city of São Paulo on a motorcycle with a mission: to distribute dog food to less fortunate dogs.

The two went viral on social media, with more than 150,000 followers on TikTok, as they chronicled their efforts to deliver food to dogs in need.

The duo came about when Miguel found an injured and homeless Ruby under his car in São Paulo nine years ago.

With emotion, he clearly remembers the day he found her, and soon after he began to dedicate his free time to taking care of hungry stray dogs as she once was.

“I took R$10 and bought 1 kilo of food. I made seven bags and I said, from today on, every time I see a dog going hungry, I’m going to give him a bag of food”, he said, wiping away his tears.

After he posted videos and photos on social media of his deliveries and the stray dogs, the donations started pouring in.

“One day I looked in the living room of my house and there were 700 kilos of feed”, he said. The delivery man has the name Ruby tattooed on his forearm. “We have already donated more than five tons of feed.”

Miguel started a small initiative three years ago called the Ruby Fofa delivery service, which sells dog products to residents of São Paulo and uses the proceeds to buy food for stray dogs.

Ruby has her own helmet and backpack for motorcycle deliveries. The professional, who earns his living as a fast-food delivery man, says he never forced the dog to participate.

“She always jumps on the bike. She always wants to go! So I take her on every delivery,” he said.

Raja Vidya, a resident of São Paulo who uses the Ruby Fofa service, says that many people abandoned their dogs after the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Miguel’s help — donating food, water, time and encouraging others to donate — I think is really cool,” he said.

“I’m very proud to be part of it too, because when we shop at Ruby’s store, we are encouraging, we are helping so that more and more people donate.”