Veterinarian Offers to Treat Caramel-Colored Stray Dog — and Something Beautiful Happens

Goiaba is a caramel-colored mixed breed whose life changed thanks to the love and care of veterinarian Mariana M. Juliani. He may have suffered once, but today he’s found happiness — and showers his savior with kisses.

In an interview with Amo Meu Pet (our Brazilian website about pet news), Mariana explained that she works with home veterinary care — and recently opened her own clinic in São Paulo, Brazil. In mid-December, she received a call from someone requesting help for a dog.

When she arrived, she met Goiaba. He had shown up in front of a condo, where a kind-hearted resident decided to help him by offering food and water. When she noticed he had a wound infested with worms, she gave him some medication — but there was no improvement. That’s when she contacted Mariana.

“I provided initial care. I cleaned the wound. I gave him some medication. He felt slightly better, but then it got worse again,” explained Mariana.

The poor pup didn’t want to eat — and without food, he would grow weaker, and the worst could happen. Tests revealed a serious infection caused by the wound, which needed urgent treatment.

However, between one visit and another, the good Samaritan told Mariana he couldn’t afford the treatment.

“That’s when I felt compelled to help — by covering part of the treatment and giving him a better place to stay during his recovery,” she said.

At the time, Mariana was working shifts at a clinic. So she asked for permission, and there she bathed the pup, cleaned his wound, and administered his medication. The daily contact brought the vet even closer to the caramel-colored pup.

“Every day, I fell more in love with him. It was love at first sight. He always had that gentle gaze — full of affection and sweetness,” she said.

During his recovery, Mariana tried to find him a home, but because he was an adult, no one was interested. Leaving him on his own was not an option! So the vet and her family decided to adopt him.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see him healthy, happy, and showing us so much love.”

Today, Goiaba is happy and healthy — and that makes Mariana feel completely fulfilled in her profession. She shared that during college, she worked at an animal rescue NGO, where she witnessed many animals being abandoned and mistreated — something that made her both sad and angry.

“Being able to help these animals through my profession is incredibly rewarding,” she concluded.

Mariana has three adopted pets — and Goiaba is one of them. Wanting to encourage adoption, the vet shared a video telling Goiaba’s story on her Instagram profile (@vet_marianamjuliani) on February 7. The post has received over 100,000 views and hundreds of comments.

“You’re truly an angel in his life,” wrote one follower.

“Such a beautiful and compassionate gesture — congratulations! May God bless you!” commented another.

Check it out:

So beautiful! To follow Mariana’s work on social media, click here.

Speaking of Adoption…

Another dog whose life was transformed is Lineu.

He’s a 9-year-old Borzoi who lives with his family in São Paulo.

But before he found his forever home, he endured a lot. He had been neglected by his previous owners and suffered from numerous health issues: he was underweight, had severe joint pain, a compromised spine, osteoarthritis, decaying teeth, a nail infection that had spread to the bone, and inflamed anal glands.

But then he was adopted — and love transformed his life!