I had just stopped by the grocery store for some basic shopping. Nothing special – bread, milk, something for tea. Everything was going as usual. I was walking through the aisles, listening to the cart squeak as I turned, someone in the distance talking about discounts. I reached the household section — I needed batteries for the remote control.

And then I stopped.

Right by the shelves with tools, between boxes and light bulbs, there was a dog sitting. Just sitting there, motionless, as if it was part of the store’s display. The leash lay on the ground, as if someone had just let go of it. But there was no one nearby. No owner, no trace of someone rushing away.

I froze, expecting someone to come running, call out his name, apologize. But nothing happened. The dog just sat there calmly, looking straight at me. He wasn’t trembling, he wasn’t whining. He was just… waiting. It was the most eerie and touching thing.

I couldn’t just walk past him. He had a collar — so he had a home. He had an owner. I looked around, walked through nearby sections, asked the staff, but no one knew anything. No one had seen him before. No one knew how he got there.

I had almost made up my mind — I was going to take him with me. I couldn’t just leave him there. Thoughts began to form: where would he sleep? What would I feed him?

— “Oh, excuse me, is he with you? That’s Richie. His owner collapsed right here, in the aisle between the shelves. A few hours ago. We called an ambulance, and they took him to the hospital. And the dog stayed. They always came together. He always held the leash. But when they carried him away on the stretcher… he let go. The poor dog didn’t know where to go. So he stayed. Waiting.”

I felt something tear inside me. Richie stayed. Alone. No commands, no explanation. But he didn’t leave. He sat there, at the last place he saw the one who was his whole world.

How much time had passed? How many customers had walked by without noticing? And he kept waiting.

I offered the manager to take the dog home with me until the owner returns and left my address and phone number.

If only everyone in the world were as loyal as this dog.