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Guadalajara Festival of Light fireworks
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Dog helps wheelchair-bound owner to visit the Festival of Light

By Nick Whittle Author

Published on the Updated on the

Guadalajara's Festival of Light was this year more eye-catching than ever thanks to a young man in a wheelchair being pushed by a dog. 

The Daily Mail this week revealed pictures taken by an anonymous source of a man called Owen being ushered through the crowds by his trusty companion Leo. 

Revellers at this year’s 477th anniversary of the founding of Guadalajara stepped aside to let Owen and Leo through; the duo nearly brought the city’s Plaza Tapatia to a standstill.   

The video of the pair has since gone viral. 

According to the Daily Mail, the person who took the footage said: ‘I saw this dog trained with the name Leo, helping a young man named "Owen" who told me that the dog is being trained by his uncle’. 

In the short clip Leo is seen navigating the crowds not only with confidence but also with a degree of foresight, which is a virtue previously thought to be typical only of the human mind. 

Clearly Leo is comfortable and happy to oblige. The short clip shows the dog walking on his hind legs and draping his front paws over the back of the wheelchair. 

Mobility dogs 

Mobility dogs are a common feature of the First World but are more usually trained to help people perform physical tasks. Dogs such as these help to keep their owners steady on their feet; turn off and on lights and pick up items from the floor. 

The village of Guadalajara only just survived a brutal campaign called the Mixtón War. When the fighting stopped the village had a population of just 126, but it grew from the ashes and was official founded in 1542. The villagers were convinced the Archangel Michael saved them from complete annihilation.  

Guadalajara lies in the Western-Pacific area of Mexico. Today, it has an estimated population of 1,460,148, making it Mexico's second most populous city.

GDLUZ is the traditional celebration of the birth of the city and takes place every year. It is a light festival and theme park rolled into one. 

 

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