A FAMOUS MODEL WHO WAS KICKED AWAY BY A RESCUE TEAM DOG BECAUSE IT WAS DIRTY AND SMELLED LIKE DOG, BUT SHE KNEELED IN REGRET WHEN SHE WAS BURIED UNDER THE EARTHQUAKE AND THE ONLY THING THAT COULD SMELL AND SAVE HER UNDER THE CONCRETE WAS THE DOG HER HURTED

In the world of glitz and glamour, Sabrina is the queen. She is the face of billboards on EDSA, endorser of expensive soaps, and always the star of fashion weeks. But behind the smooth skin and perfect smile lies a demeanor that is as repulsive as rotting garbage.

One afternoon, Sabrina had a photo shoot in the lobby of a newly opened 5-star hotel in Ortigas. While she was posing in front of the grand staircase, a security team passed by conducting a routine bomb sweep. They were accompanied by Mang Dante, a volunteer handler, and his K9 dog “Kidlat,” a mixed-breed Aspin wearing a vest marked “Rescue.”

Kidlat stopped near Sabrina to sniff a bag.

“Ew! Get that mutt away from me!” Sabrina shrieked, backing away as if she had seen a cockroach. “Guard! Why are you letting a street dog in here? Look at its fur! It might have a tick! My dress is worth 50 thousand pesos!”

“Ma’am, I’m sorry. This is a K9 unit. It’s just standard procedure,” Mang Dante explained as he pulled Kidlat’s leash.

“Standard procedure? It doesn’t look like a purebred! It stinks! It smells like dog!” Sabrina complained. When Kidlat approached again, curious about the scent of her perfume, Sabrina kicked the dog’s snout in disgust.

“Ouch!” Kidlat groaned and backed away.

“Ma’am! Don’t hurt the dog!” Mang Dante shouted, hugging the pet.

“Get away! It’s disgusting! You’re both filthy! You’re outside! You are ruining my aesthetic!” Sabrina yelled. People were looking at them, but because Sabrina was famous, the guards themselves sent Mang Dante and Kidlat away to the parking area.

The photo shoot continued. Sabrina smiled at the camera, feeling so beautiful.

But less than an hour later, the ground suddenly shook. It wasn’t just a rumble. A strong jolt that knocked everyone down. Intensity 7.2.

People screamed. Crack. The lobby ceiling gave way. The grand staircase Sabrina was standing on collapsed.

Everything went dark.

When Sabrina woke up, she was in a cramped space. Dark. Dusty. Her whole body hurt. A large chunk of cement had landed on her leg.

“Help! Help me!” she shouted. But her voice was hoarse. The air was full of cement. She was so thirsty.

Hours passed. No one answered. The earlier noise of the party was replaced by deafening silence and the occasional crash of debris.

Sabrina cried. Am I going to die here? Her beauty, her money, her fame—all useless under the collapsed building. CCTV cameras couldn’t see her. People couldn’t hear her.

In the midst of her despair, she heard a rustling sound.

Sniff. Sniff.

Someone was panting. Someone was barking softly.

“Hello? I’m here!” Sabrina shouted, desperately tapping the stone with her shoe.

She heard digging. Scrape. Scrape. The sound of nails on the cement.

Page: SAY – Story Around You | Original story

Suddenly, light entered from a small hole. A wet nose emerged. A familiar face.

Kidlat.

The dog he called “dirty” and “stinky.” The dog he kicked earlier.

Kidlat barked loudly to call his handler. “Woof! Woof!”

“Good boy, Kidlat! Is that there? Is there someone there?” came Mang Dante’s voice.

“Here! I’m here!” Sabrina cried.

She saw Kidlat trying to claw at the rocks to make the hole bigger, even though his claws were bleeding on the cement. The dog didn’t care about the pain. What mattered to Kidlat was that he smelled life that needed to be saved.

Rescuers arrived. It took two hours before Sabrina was finally pulled out of the rubble.

When she emerged, she was greeted by fresh air and the light of spotlights. Sabrina was covered in wounds and dust. Her expensive gown was tattered. Her “aesthetic” was gone.

She saw Mang Dante on the side treating Kidlat’s leg. The dog’s white fur was covered in blood and mud.

The medics approached Sabrina. “Ma’am, are you okay? We’ll take you to the ambulance.”

But Sabrina shook her head. She pushed the medic away and limped toward Mang Dante and Kidlat.

When Kidlat saw her, her tail wagged. She wasn’t angry. She didn’t hold any grudge. She even came closer to lick the wound on Sabrina’s hand.

Sabrina’s knees gave out. She knelt down in front of the dog and its handler. She sobbed loudly—not because of physical pain, but because of the pain of shame.

“Sorry…” Sabrina sobbed as she hugged the neck of the “stinky” dog earlier. “Sorry, Kidlat… Sorry, Manong… I kicked you… I hated you… but you were the only one who came looking for me.”

The people couldn’t believe it. The famous and fat model, kneeling on the cement, hugged an Aspin.

Mang Dante held Sabrina’s shoulder. “Ma’am, dogs don’t know how to harbor anger. All they know is to be honest and help. Even if you hurt them, they will still save you because they are so pure. I hope we humans can learn from them.”

Since then, Sabrina has changed. She is no longer arty. He used his influence and wealth to build a large animal shelter and fund the training of Search and Rescue dogs in the country.

Whenever he gives an interview, he always has Kidlat—the dog with the scar on his paw—with him. And when someone asks why he includes the “street dog” on magazine covers, his answer is: “He taught me that true beauty is not seen in breed or smell, but in a heart that is ready to forgive and rescue, even the person who hurt him.”