This is a story that goes all the way back to March 24, 2012, when Pope Benedict XVI was on his first trip to Spanish-speaking Latin America, with stops in Mexico and Cuba.
That day, the Pope was about to give a mass in Guanajuato, Mexico, and everything was set and ready for him to make his tour in the Popemobile.
Crowds of people lined the streets, cheering enthusiastically and waving their flags, expecting to see only the Pope, but then something incredible happened.
There is a saying that “a dog appears when you least expect it”, and in this case, it couldn’t be more true.
Thanks to AFP photographer, Yuri Cortez, we now have the legendary shot depicting this special moment that will forever remain one of the best things in history.
Yuri Cortez has been a photojournalist for more than 30 years, working all throughout Latin America. He usually covers wars, natural disasters, and humanitarian crises, but that day, he was also covering the Pope’s visit to Latin America.
In his interview with WeRateDogs, Yuri said, “I was in Guanajuato staked out on a platform since the Pope was going to make his tour in the Popemobile. As we waited, we watched his security movements to try to guess if he was going to appear. That’s what was happening when I saw that a dog had come across.”
As soon as Yuri noticed that a dog had made an appearance, he started to take photos of him. “I focused on him and started to take photos. I shot photos of him, and I shot and shot and shot, following him until he was out of the way.”
The dog was probably impressed by all the people who cheered with flags and threw confetti. He then started to run in the center of the street, and people cheered even louder.
@carolsuestuart Cutest dog ever! He thought the Pope’s parade was for him, maybe he was right. 😂 #dog #dogsoftiktok #dogsfunny #mansbestfriend #puppy #cute ♬ original sound – Carol Stuart
“Later, I discovered the photo where he turns to see the crowd, and he looks up, and… it gives the impression that he’s greeting the crowd,” commented Yuri.
The dog loved the attention and probably thought the parade was for him… well, maybe he was right. He certainly upstaged the Pope and stole his parade.
But, no one was complaining because it was, to this day, one of the cutest things ever.
Soon, social media became obsessed with a little dog who stole the parade. It was such a massive hit.
Many dog lovers actually claimed that the parade was indeed for the dog, and no one should dare to say otherwise.
Yuri never imagined that one of his photos would go viral like that, let alone the photo of the dog, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. It still is one of the most iconic photos.
There is not much information about the dog that stole the show that day, but many speculate that it was a street dog who just happened to be in the right place and at the right time.
One thing is certain – no matter what anyone says, the parade was indeed for him.
@weratedogs The Dog Who Thought the Parade Was for Him (because it was) 14/10 #weratedogs ♬ Metamorphosis – Danilo Stankovic