Alexandre Rossi, Dr. Pet, revealed details of Estopinha’s final moments during Domingo Espetacular. She, who died of a nail infection on Wednesday (20), was the most followed pet in the world on social media. “He died hugging me,” the zoo technician said.
He spoke this Sunday (24) with Carolina Ferraz. “When I adopted her, her fur was untidy, even a little dirty, it looked like burlap. How can I make it more loving? So I added burlap,” he explained.
“She died hugging me. I felt her heart grow weaker and weaker. She looked at me and I noticed her. I thought that was the best way to end the relationship,” he lamented.
Rossi also said the grief over the loss of a mascot goes far beyond what people can imagine. He recalled adopting it during a report on Domingo Espetacular:
It’s very exciting to talk about it because that very day I knew that a very special adventure would begin that would impact many people. I wanted to choose a companion, but also be a role model for people. I wanted to adopt a stray.
The animal behavior specialist said he remembers Estopinha every time he walks outside his building. “I can’t look here without imagining her playing with her brothers. She was a great explorer, she wanted to live, see places, enjoy and run,” she continued.
Rossi has two other dogs and a cat, which he took with him to Estopinha’s memorial service:
Just in case, because I don’t know how much her instincts prepared her, but I took her to the funeral and let her smell it. They paid attention, the smell was definitely different. As a scientist, I know I was super emotional, but I felt like they got it.