Ale is used to hearing startled shouts from passersby. People often slam on their brakes or roll down their windows, screaming warnings as they catch sight of her yard.
“People yell out of their car, ‘Ma’am, you have a bear in your backyard!’” Ale said in a video for The Dodo.
But Ale knows the truth: there’s nothing to fear. That “bear” is actually Napoleon, her gentle Newfoundland pup and loyal companion.
“He’s such a gentle giant,” Ale said.
Ale adopted Napoleon when he was just 9 weeks old, and they’ve been inseparable ever since. When she became pregnant, Napoleon stayed by her side, offering quiet comfort through the challenges ahead.
“My pregnancy wasn’t easy,” Ale shared. “I had vertigo in the beginning, and he was there as a support for me to lean against.”
Pregnancy brought more than physical challenges. Ale struggled with depression, feeling isolated even as everyone around her celebrated the coming baby. During long walks along the cliffs near her home, Napoleon became her anchor — and one day, her lifesaver.
“My thoughts were really dark, and I couldn’t get out of it,” Ale said. “One day, I got too close to the cliff’s edge. He pulled my arm backwards to a bench where we always rested and laid his head on my lap. I just sat there petting him, and I cried.”
Today, Ale is thriving. Her son is now 3 years old, and Napoleon has taken on a new role: protector and playmate for the little one.
“When the baby would cry at night, he would pop up immediately, like, ‘What’s going on with my baby?!’” Ale said.
For Ale, Napoleon is more than a pet — he’s a constant source of comfort, joy, and love.
“He really is an angel,” Ale said. “In the shape of a Newfoundland, but that’s the best kind.”
