As a woman was exiting a cafe, she was forced to walk around a dog that was blocking the door. After passing by the curled up stray, she decided to turn back, thinking no one was watching. She was wrong. A camera caught her every move, and the video was quickly shared around the world. You’ll understand why when you watch it.
Duygu Elma was leaving a cafe when a security camera captured a clip that would have the woman going viral around the globe. After seeing what she did to a dog that was attempting to take shelter on the sidewalk, people wanted to know who she was. When a friend saw the viral video, she recognized Elma, and the woman was thrust into the spotlight after people saw how she behaved when she thought no one was looking.
It was a cold and rainy day in Zonguldak, Turkey, and everyone was simply trying to stay dry. That included a cold, wet dog that had attempted to seek shelter in the doorway of a cafe. As the stray curled up on the rug outside the door, under the overhang out front, customers exiting the building were forced to walk around it. In its attempt to stay warm and dry, the dog didn’t budge or try to get out of the way as people went in and out the door.
One of those people was Duygu Elma, The Dodo reported. As she passed through the doorway, she noticed the stray dog partially blocking the entrance as it tried its best to take refuge from the elements. Elma began to walk by, putting up her umbrella as she intended to go on her way, but then, something changed her mind.
Elma took another look at the dog and decided to do something that’s left many completely stunned. After putting her umbrella down, she took a step towards the stray. When it didn’t move, she got even closer. Although she had her back towards the camera, it still managed to capture something in the woman’s hands. Then, it becomes clear what she intended to do, much to the shock of many viewers.
After noticing the dog was trembling, Elma decided to offer the stray a bit of warmth at the expense of her own. In a sweet gesture of love, the woman gave what she could at that moment as she removed her scarf from around her neck, opened it up, and covered the cold dog with it, hoping to provide it with some relief from the cold.
The footage of the sweet encounter only lasted a moment, but it didn’t go unnoticed. After being posted to social media, it immediately began to go viral as it captured both hearts and headlines around the world. “Humanity is not dead,” a translation of one headline read as a news outlet heralded the kind gesture.
After Elma was identified as the kind soul seen in the footage, she received heaping amounts of praise, which she never expected. For Elma, her actions weren’t heroic or extraordinary, though. It was simply the right thing to do. “I couldn’t imagine that my actions would receive this attention. I’m very surprised about it,” she told The Dodo. “The weather was so cold. I just couldn’t take it when I saw him shivering.”
Duygu Elma set an example that will hopefully inspire others, but it’s about so much more than being kind to a stray dog. As the saying goes, the true test of a person’s character is what he or she does when they think no one is watching. Elma didn’t hesitate to show love and compassion, giving up her own comfort for another living soul who needed it. Imagine a world where we are all willing to make such sacrifices for one another.
