“He came to the right place”
The black-and-tan dog had climbed over the divider from next door and helped himself to Mauro’s side — where he stood, tail wagging, waiting to be let in.
It turned out to be an excellent choice of destination.
“Luckily, he came to the right place,” Mauro said, “because I sell pet supplies.”
Mauro invited the dog in, filled an enrichment toy with squeezable treats, and set it on the floor. The dog wasted no time. After finishing his snack, he stayed for a few hours — playing, napping, and generally making himself at home — before his family returned that afternoon.
That’s when Mauro finally met his neighbors and learned the dog’s name: Never.
A dog who does not like being alone
Never, it emerged, had access to the balcony during the day while his parents were at work. And Never, it also emerged, had strong feelings about solitude.
“Honestly, he’s the neediest dog ever,” Mauro said. “He wants attention all the time, and if you stop petting him, he gets annoyed.”
Mauro was not bothered by this in the slightest.
A daily routine, self-appointed
The next morning, Mauro woke up around noon to find Never already at the sliding glass door, waiting. He let him in and tried something new — a steam brush. It wasn’t a toy exactly, but Mauro had a feeling about it.
“He’s basically getting a little spa day with the steam,” Mauro said, watching the dog melt with pleasure. “Oh, wow… he likes it. Alright, alright… I’ll keep going.”
Never spent the rest of the afternoon in a state of blissful relaxation before eventually hopping back over the divider when his family came home.
The day after that, he was back again.
Two days of absolute depression
The visits became a fixture — something both of them looked forward to. Mauro tried out new toys, Never tried out new naps, and the two settled into a companionship that neither had exactly planned for.
Then Never’s family went away for a couple of days.
“It was so sad,” Mauro said. “Two days of absolute depression. The building felt empty.”
They came back. Never appeared at the door. Order was restored.
The best kind of neighbor
A few weeks into their friendship, Mauro has made his peace with the daily goodbye — partly because he knows exactly where Never is going.
“As soon as the dog hears his owner, he immediately heads back to his own balcony,” Mauro said. “You can tell how well-behaved, loving, and well cared for the dog is.”
A man who works from home alone. A dog who hates being alone. One shared balcony between them.
Sometimes the best friendships just climb over the divider and introduce themselves.