He’s actually a “gentle giant.”
Ale is no stranger to startled looks and shouted warnings from neighbors passing by her yard.
“People yell out of their car, ‘Ma’am, you have a bear in your backyard!’” she shared in a video for The Dodo.
But Ale knows there’s no need for concern — the “bear” is actually Napoleon, her beloved Newfoundland dog.
“He’s such a gentle giant,” Ale said.
Ale adopted Napoleon when he was just 9 weeks old, and the two have been inseparable ever since. As Ale’s life evolved, Napoleon remained by her side — especially during her most vulnerable moments.
When Ale became pregnant, she faced a series of physical and emotional challenges. In the early stages, she suffered from vertigo, and Napoleon became her steadfast support.
“My pregnancy wasn’t easy,” she said. “He was there as a support for me to lean against.”
But the hardest part wasn’t physical. Ale was hit by a wave of depression. While those around her celebrated the coming baby, she found herself sinking deeper into despair.
During that time, she would often take Napoleon for walks along the cliffs near their home — quiet escapes that helped her cope. But one walk became a turning point.
“My thoughts were really dark, and I couldn’t get out of it,” Ale recalled. “One day, I got too close to the cliff’s edge. He pulled my arm backward to a bench where we always rested, laid his head on my lap, and I just sat there petting him and cried.”
In that moment, Napoleon didn’t just offer comfort — he saved her life.
Now, years later, Ale is in a much better place. Her son is 3 years old, and Napoleon has taken on a new role: protector of the little one he watched grow in Ale’s belly.
“When the baby would cry at night, he would pop up immediately, like, ‘What’s going on with my baby?!’” Ale said.
Napoleon remains a constant, calming presence — not just a pet, but a best friend, a guardian, and a hero.
“He really is an angel,” Ale said. “In the shape of a Newfoundland, but that’s the best kind.”