Woman and rescue dog’s year-long African adventure

In 2015, Sara Ortín León traveled from her home in Barcelona, Spain, to Zambia, Africa. That’s where she met Ginger the dog. The two quickly connected, but León had to return to Spain. She missed Ginger so much she decided to go back to Zambia and look for her. They reunited and León adopted the sweet pup. And that’s just the beginning of their adventure. The happy family jumped in a car and spent the next year traveling around Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Malawi. Ginger and her owner went on hikes and made time for paddleboarding. León told the Dodo, “We paddled for hours and hours, and her face — she was smiling. It’s crazy.” Besides enjoying the views, the confident pup also protected her mommy from the wild. The pair used their travels to educate people. “In Africa, 99 percent of people hate dogs. You go into the street, and people try to kick them and try to throw rocks at them,” León said. She’s planning to start a nonprofit organization to help local dogs.