His shyness melted hearts when he was found roaming the outskirts of an adoption center. In the beginning, he was inexperienced and scared. His inability to obey verbal cues in English left worry about whether or not he would be able to be adopted. Nacho’s story began to have a happy ending when he was moved to a different shelter in Portland, Oregon. There, his unusual behavior was what ultimately landed him in a loving forever home.
Matute, Nacho’s foster mom Matute helped Nacho’s transformation come to fruition. Matute loves the city of Houston. She documented his adoption journey on social media, hailing his sweetness and loveable nature. It wasn’t until her time with Matute that she found out Nacho was more responsive to Spanish commands.
“I started talking to him in Spanish, and it was the most energetic we had seen him,” Matute shared. She soon learned that short, repetitive phrases brought him to life. Whenever she would say, “let’s go outside” or “vamos,” his face would light up with joy! In one particularly touching scene, Nacho sprang off Matute’s bed, tail a-wag, when she addressed him in Spanish. That video of this heartwarming interaction quickly went viral on TikTok, getting over three million views.
Matute welcomed Nacho into her home, giving him a loving foster environment. Seattle-based Nancy Garza-Harris and her husband, Rick, were intrigued. So inspired by his story, they traveled three hours south to adopt him. Rick got right to that bench as soon as he encountered Nacho. When the small dog snuggled into his lap, Nancy said, “Well, that’s it.”
Once they adopted him and took him into their home, Nancy decided to change his name to Rogelio Montoya. She confides that she calls him “mi hijo,” which means “my son” in Spanish. This new family environment has given Rogelio the opportunity to blossom under the care and love he has received which has made him very much adored.
Corliss echoed Matute’s excitement that Rogelio had been adopted. She added, “He’s the kind of dog that will follow you everywhere and is totally fine being your shadow. pic.twitter.com/KxSaSJPFXu — My Pit Bull is Family @mypitbullisfamily November 26, 2021 He loves to snuggle under blankets and gladly snoozes with whoever is nearest.
Rogelio’s journey from an untrained stray to a beloved pet illustrates the impact of understanding and communication in animal adoption. His special talent for responding to commands en español landed him in a forever home. It laid the groundwork for a larger discussion about the need to recognize each animal’s individual needs and histories.
