New York native Kaori Tomaru was traveling in Mexico when she met someone that changed her life. A stray dog who was dirty, malnourished, and mistreated introduced himself to his travel bug owner, and from that day on, they’ve been inseparable.
Tomaru took the dog, who she named Ralph (aka, the dog trotter), to New York with her. They later moved to Paris. And as it turned out, Ralph loved to see the world as much as his human best friend. As you can tell by the pictures, the pup has become a stellar international model!
On the canal in Amsterdam:
“From Mexico to NYC to Paris and beyond; we’ve traveled and shared everything. I started taking photos of our travels and discovered he loved posing…He brings such joy to my life and a smile to everyone’s face!” Tomaru wrote.
Unfortunately, Ralph got sick and was diagnosed with a heart problem.
“My dog Ralph needs heart surgery to repair his mitral valve. His body can’t handle his heart medicines. It is his best and only option…The surgery will take my life savings and I am fundraising for the rest,” wrote Tomaru on Ralph’s GoFundMe page.
Luckily, the two travelers touched people’s hearts, and they’ve raised enough money for Ralph’s surgery! Tomaru has already found a team who is ready to perform the life-saving procedure.
“I can write posts, tweets, and emails for a thousand years and still never be done expressing my thanks,” she recently wrote on her blog.
Check out some of their adventures:
Taking in the sights in Paris:
Exploring “Van Gogh’s stomping grounds”:
Enjoying the green in London:
And checking out the architecture:
Visiting Big Ben:
Getting lost in Venice:
Gazing over the cliffs of the Cinque Terre:
Posing in front of the Colosseum:
Riding on a gondola:
Hangin’ out in Brussels in front of this crazy thing (otherwise known as the Atomium):
Sightseeing in Greece:
And in general, enjoying all seasons in all places:
Best of luck to this globe and dog trotter! We hope that they have many, many more adventures to come!
See more on Instagram: @kaori.tomaru.
