Ale García of Ciudad Victoria in the Mexican border state of Tamaulipas had been missing her dog Gorda for nearly a month when her pet was found in the last week of June.

How the two were reunited is a heartwarming example of the human kindness of the Mexican people, the positive use of social media and the power of Mexico’s World Cup fever to unite the nation — even across species.

García had immediately posted a request for help on social media to locate Gorda when her pet went missing on May 27, with no luck. 

But after Mexico’s victory over Czechia on June 24, videos emerged on social media of fans celebrating in the street. Some of them clearly showed fans celebrating with a dog. 

In one video, a man can be seen carrying the dog through the streets as people chant in celebration. People can be heard in the background saying: “Even the dog is celebrating”.

García’s brother saw a live stream of one such celebration and recognized the dog. It was Gorda.

After he told his sister the news, she posted a message asking for the dog to be kept safe until she could arrive. Users who were watching the live stream began sharing the pet’s location, and within minutes, several people helped keep Gorda safe until the long-awaited reunion.

After being reunited, García took Gorda to a vet for a check-up and was reportedly told that her dog, though thin and slightly injured, was healthy. 

Wags on social media posted that the little dog “wasn’t lost; she was just out partying.”

With reports from Infobae and Tribuna de México