Rescue dog Osito steals hearts at the World Cup, one bike ride at a time

MEXICO CITY (AP) — As World Cup fever sweeps Mexico City, one of the tournament’s biggest fan favorites isn’t a player, coach or official mascot. Joining Merlin the duck in the pantheon of heart-stealers is Osito, an 8-year-old rescue poodle mix who's become an unlikely sensation after arriving at Mexico’s opening match perched on the back of a cargo bicycle, dressed in a Mexico jersey, sunglasses and a cap.

As thousands of fans streamed toward the stadium last week for the tournament opener, many stopped to snap photos, pet the dog and post videos online. Within hours, Osito was appearing on international broadcasts and spreading across social media, transforming the bicycle-riding dog into one of the World Cup’s most charming viral stars.

For his owner, Jorge Rangel, the attention is less about internet fame than the companionship he shares with the dog who accompanies him almost everywhere. For the past two years, Osito has joined Rangel on his daily rounds delivering household products across Mexico City.

“More than a dog, he’s my daily companion,” Rangel, 50, said.

They travel together on a specially adapted cargo bicycle, where Osito sits calmly in a back compartment, greeting passersby and drawing smiles from strangers.

The arrangement began by chance. One day, Rangel placed the dog in a delivery box attached to his bicycle and took him for a short ride. Osito seemed to enjoy it. Over time, Rangel added cushions, adjusted the setup and gradually brought him along on longer trips through the city. Before long, the pair became a familiar sight.

Now, children rush over to greet Osito, strangers stop to take photographs and some initially mistake him for a stuffed animal because he sits so still, often dressed in one of his many outfits.

“He has a very gentle temperament. Everybody wants to meet him,” Rangel said.

When the World Cup arrived, Rangel saw an opportunity to introduce Osito — whose name means “little bear” — to an even larger audience.

A devoted soccer fan, he spent weeks preparing for the tournament, gathering accessories and adapting a pair of sunglasses to fit the dog. He dressed Osito in a national team jersey and decorated the bicycle, hoping to stand out among the crowds heading to the stadium.

“It exceeded all my expectations,” Rangel said of the response.

What appears to resonate most with fans is not the costume or the viral fame, but the relationship between the man and the dog. Rangel adopted Osito years ago, during a difficult period in his life, and describes him as an emotional lifeline.

“I didn’t know what it meant to love an animal until Osito came into my life,” Rangel said.

Today, the two spend nearly every day together. If Rangel leaves without him, Osito protests with something he rarely does: bark.

Their bond is evident to the strangers who encounter them on the streets. Rangel recalls people approaching him to say that seeing Osito had brightened an otherwise stressful day. Some have thanked the pair simply for making them smile.

Now, as World Cup celebrations continue, videos of Osito keep circulating and requests for photographs remain constant. Yet each morning, Rangel and Osito climb aboard their bicycle and head back into the streets of Mexico City, where they continue working, greeting strangers and spreading moments of joy.

For Rangel, that remains the most meaningful part of the story.

The television appearances and viral fame are gratifying, he said. But what matters most is that people see the affection between a man and his dog — a bond that has unexpectedly become one of the World Cup’s most endearing images.

---

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup