Nicolás Pradilla and his trainer, Héctor Ramírez, were nearing the end of a grueling three-day biking expedition through Colombia when a last-minute decision changed everything.
Instead of sticking to their planned route, they veered onto a rugged 25-mile uphill trail — a choice that would lead them to an unexpected rescue.
Halfway through the climb, a faint sound broke through the steady rhythm of their pedaling.
“Héctor heard noises that sounded like birds,” Pradilla told The Dodo. “When we looked down, two abandoned puppies were there.”
Hidden beneath the brush were two tiny, dirt-covered pups. Scared and alone, they peered up at the cyclists as if begging to be saved. Without hesitation, the men stopped their ride and scooped the little ones up.
“We decided to take them with us immediately, even though we still had quite a climb and more than six hours of travel ahead,” Pradilla said. “Héctor took one and tucked him under his shirt, then passed me the other.”
You can see more footage from the rescue here:
With their new companions nestled against their chests, the bikers pressed on. At first, they planned to find the puppies permanent homes once they returned. But after hours of carrying them, feeling their warmth, and hearing their tiny sighs of relief, they knew they couldn’t let them go.
“The initial idea was to help them and find them a home,” Pradilla said. “After more than six hours with them, we decided to keep them ourselves.”
Héctor named his pup Remi, while Pradilla named his Tinto — after Colombia’s beloved black coffee.
The puppies quickly adjusted to their new lives, and in turn, changed their rescuers’ lives, too. For Pradilla, bringing Tinto home even inspired him to move into his own place, giving them both a fresh start.
“Not only did he find a home,” Pradilla reflected, “but I did, too.”
Two months later, Remi and Tinto are thriving. Though Tinto is still recovering from deworming treatments and hasn’t been able to join his dad on big rides yet, he’s getting stronger every day. Soon, he’ll be back on the trail — this time as a rider’s best friend.
“We’re already planning a ride to relive those moments,” Pradilla said.
To keep up with Tinto’s adventures, you can follow his dad on Instagram and TikTok.
