SerpApi.Org
Some bonds can never be broken. When one half of that bond dies, the loss isn't felt only by family and friends. It's also carried by the animal that can't understand why their person is suddenly gone, and by the community that witnessed that bond every day.
On Tuesday morning, 70-year-old Gonzalo Perez was riding his bicycle on Thomas A. Betts Parkway in Rocky Mount when he was struck by a car. He was airlifted to ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, where he later died.
To many in Rocky Mount, Gonzalo Perez was simply "Gonzales." And he was rarely seen alone.
Everywhere Perez went, he went on his bicycle with his dog, Oso, by his side. Community members say the two were inseparable, a common sight.
William Manley, a Rocky Mount resident who photographed the pair over the years, said, "I observed them a lot. I would watch them cross the street. The dog would go first and look both ways for him. Many days you could find the two just taking a nap in the community."
Sadly, Perez had been hospitalized several times over the years. During those stays, community members said Oso could often be found waiting outside the emergency room entrance, refusing to leave until his owner returned.
This past February, someone sent WRAL a photo showing a makeshift shelter built for Oso as he waited outside the hospital doors. Nearby, Perez's bicycle remained parked, keeping the faithful dog company as he waited for his forever friend to come back.
Oso was by Perez's side when he was struck Tuesday morning. From what the community has shared since the crash, it appears Oso made it back home unharmed.
Now, for the first time, Oso is waiting for someone who isn't coming home.
As Rocky Mount mourns the loss of Gonzalo Perez, the community that embraced the bond between the man and his dog are taking care of Oso back at his home, feeding and loving on him making sure he is not alone.
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