Car Dealership Adopts and Employs Street Dog

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Category: Human Interest

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. stray / streɪ / (adj) – lost or without a home
    Example:

    The kids fed stray cats and dogs in the neighborhood.


  2. homage / ˈɒm ɪdʒ / (n) – an act done to respect or honor someone or something
    Example:

    This statue is an homage to the country’s national hero.


  3. mixed breed / mɪkst brid / (n) – an animal that came from many different breeds
    Example:

    Some pet owners prefer purebred dogs over mixed breeds.


  4. well received / wɛl rɪˈsivd / (adj) – greeted or reviewed with approval
    Example:

    His latest book was well received by the public and sold out soon after it was launched.


  5. docile / ˈdɒs əl / (adj) – easy to teach or control
    Example:

    Dolphins kept at marine parks are more docile than those in the wild.


Article

Read the text below.

A Hyundai car dealership in Brazil adopted a stray dog and later hired it as an office employee.


Branch manager Emerson Mariano said he first saw the dog outside the dealership. The dog visited the showroom frequently until Mariano let it in for shelter and some food and water one rainy evening. Afterward, the dealership staff felt that the dog wanted to stay, so Mariano decided to adopt him and name him Tucson [TOO-son] Prime, an homage to Hyundai’s famous SUV.


Aside from giving Tucson a home, the Hyundai dealership also treated him like a real employee and gave him an ID and a tie. Tucson’s new caretakers also took him to the vet to make sure he received complete vaccinations.


According to Mariano, Hyundai Brazil has always been pet-friendly, and its employees wanted to show this by rescuing an abandoned animal.


Tucson was adopted in May but went viral only in August after the showroom posted pictures of the canine consultant on Instagram. The post was shared on “Dia do Vira-Lata” or “Day of the Mutt,” a day celebrated to help spread awareness about mixed breeds and the importance of rescuing and adopting stray animals.


According to Mariano, Tucson has been well received by customers. Some customers even returned to the shop and brought gifts for Tucson after buying cars. He added that thanks to Tucson’s docile nature, the showroom’s work environment improved.


Tucson now has a dedicated Instagram account with over 100,000 followers and is going to be featured in a national ad campaign for Hyundai.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

• Do you think that it’s a good idea to keep animals in workplaces? Why or why not?
• If a company decides to allow animals in its office, what should be done to ensure that everything goes well (e.g. keep the animals in one area, make guidelines for employees)? Discuss.

Discussion B

• Do you think adopting stray animals is a good idea? Why or why not?
• Do you think it is important whether an animal is a mixed breed or pure breed? Why or why not?