Asunción Dog Names

Fernando de la Mora is a city that is a part of the Asunción metropolitan area. Divided into the Northern and Southern sections, the city is the most populated in Paraguay. Fernando is also the name of a dog who had an ear for music and was adopted by an entire town. Fernando the dog is even the protagonist of a song by singer-songwriter Alberto Cortez. The little white dog has books, poems, and statues dedicated to his memory.

The dog suddenly showed up in a bar in Resistencia, the capital of Chaco, a province in Argentina, on Christmas Eve in 1951. The pup was looking for refuge from a storm. He laid down at the feet of Fernando Ortiz, a bolero singer who was passing through the city. Fernando became the pup’s official owner and he named the dog “Fernando”. Ultimately, Ortiz chose to make Resistencia his home and Fernando the dog began to win over the locals. Everyone wanted to hang out with the pup and invite him into their home. Fernando had numerous favorite activities, like sleeping in the lobby of the Hotel Colón, drinking coffee with milk and croissants in the manager’s office of Nation Bank, visiting the hairdresser, having lunch at a favorite restaurant, chasing cats in the main square, dining at the La Estrella Bar and napping at a friend’s house.

Fernando was known for having an amazing musical ear. It is said that the clever canine never missed an activity that included music and he attended concerts, public and private parties, and carnivals. Not only was he given a privileged place at the events, but his opinion was also the most valued. The dog would sit next to the orchestra or those performing solos and wag his tail as a sign of approval. If a note was misplayed or went off tune he would growl or howl. Fernando would even leave if the music was not to his liking. In one instance, he was not pleased with the performance of a Polish pianist and growled a few times. The musician rose from his chair at the end of the show and admitting that Fernando was right on; the performer had messed up twice.

On May 28, 1963. Fernando was hit by a car in front of the plaza next to the provincial Government House, where he often chased cats. Fernando was mourned by the entire city. His funeral is thought to have had the largest attendance of any held in the city, with municipal authorities paying their respects and speaking in his honor. Alberto Cortez immortalized Fernando in the song “Callejero."