Every street dog has the potential to become a Ruby
Em uma cidade de milhões, um motoboy chamado Miguel encontrou uma cadela assustada sob um carro na chuva e, ao resgatá-la, descobriu que o ato de cuidar raramente para em um só ser. Ao longo de nove anos, ele e Ruby Fofa transformaram suas rotas diárias de entrega em São Paulo em uma rede de solidariedade que já distribuiu mais de cinco toneladas de ração para animais abandonados e famílias vulneráveis. O que começou como um gesto íntimo de compaixão tornou-se, com o tempo, uma lembrança pública de que a bondade, quando documentada e compartilhada, pode se multiplicar além do alcance de qualquer mão.
- A pandemia de COVID-19 agravou a fome de animais e pessoas ao mesmo tempo, pressionando Miguel a intensificar as distribuições quando o desemprego disparou e as doações escassearam.
- Famílias que não conseguiam alimentar seus cães e animais de rua sem ninguém para cuidar deles formavam uma crise silenciosa nas mesmas ruas por onde Miguel fazia suas entregas diárias.
- A viralização de Ruby Fofa nas redes sociais — hoje com 136 mil seguidores — transformou a visibilidade do projeto em um canal real de captação de doações e parcerias com empresas como a Specialdog.
- Com 150 kg de ração doada por mês e 50% dos lucros de produtos revertidos ao projeto, Miguel construiu uma estrutura modesta mas funcional de assistência contínua.
- O ciclo de generosidade se fecha quando beneficiários como Marcio Saad, após se recuperarem, devolvem doações ao projeto para que outros possam ser ajudados da mesma forma.
Miguel Pereira de Souza Junior tinha cinquenta e um anos e trabalhava como motoboy quando encontrou Ruby Fofa encolhida sob um carro na chuva, no Capão Redondo, zona sul de São Paulo. Era 2013. Ele a levou para casa, tratou de um tumor e outros problemas de saúde, e nunca mais se separou dela. Hoje, Ruby usa jaqueta de couro sob medida, capacete e óculos de proteção, e viaja na garupa da moto de Miguel por toda a cidade.
A dupla chamou atenção nas ruas, e amigos sugeriram que Miguel documentasse a rotina online. Cinco anos atrás, ele criou um perfil nas redes sociais. A conta cresceu até alcançar mais de 136 mil seguidores — pessoas que acompanham um motoboy e sua cadela atravessando São Paulo entrega após entrega.
Mas o projeto foi além dos dois. Ao resgatar Ruby, Miguel passou a enxergar os outros animais abandonados nas mesmas ruas, e as famílias que lutavam para alimentar a si mesmas e a seus pets. Ele começou a fazer paradas extras durante as entregas, distribuindo ração para animais de rua e pessoas em dificuldade financeira.
Com a chegada da pandemia, o esforço se intensificou. Miguel criou os 'saquinhos mata fome' e formalizou a iniciativa no Bolsa Ração Ruby Fofa. Uma parceria com a fabricante Specialdog garantiu cerca de 150 kg de ração por mês, transformando as distribuições informais no Projeto Ruby Fofa. Ao longo dos anos, mais de cinco toneladas de ração foram entregues em São Paulo.
Um dos beneficiados foi Marcio Saad, de sessenta e um anos, que durante a pandemia dependeu do projeto por cerca de um ano. Quando sua situação melhorou, ele doou sacos de ração de volta a Miguel, para que outros pudessem ser ajudados. Miguel também vende produtos da marca Ruby Fofa online e reinveste cerca de cinquenta por cento dos lucros no projeto. Sua mensagem é direta: todo cachorro de rua tem o potencial de se tornar uma Ruby — basta alguém resgatá-lo e amá-lo.
Miguel Pereira de Souza Junior was fifty-one years old and working as a motoboy—a motorcycle courier—when he found Ruby Fofa huddled beneath a parked car in the Capão Redondo neighborhood of São Paulo's south zone. It was raining. The dog was soaked and terrified. That was in 2013. He brought her inside, dried her off, treated her for a tumor in her uterus and other health problems, and nine years later, Ruby Fofa still rides on the back of his motorcycle. She wears a custom-fitted leather jacket, a helmet, and protective goggles. They have become inseparable.
The pair's daily work—Miguel making deliveries across the city, Ruby perched behind him—caught the attention of people on the street. Friends suggested they document it online. Five years ago, Miguel started posting their routine to social media. The account grew. Today they have more than 136,000 followers watching a motoboy and his dog move through São Paulo's streets.
But somewhere along the way, the project became about more than just the two of them. Rescuing Ruby, nursing her back to health, watching her thrive—it shifted something in Miguel's thinking. He began to notice other animals on those same streets, abandoned and hungry, with no one to care for them. He thought about the people he saw too, the ones struggling to feed themselves and their pets. So he started making extra stops during his deliveries. He began carrying bags of dog food, distributing them to street animals and to families in financial difficulty.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Miguel intensified the effort. He saw unemployment spike. He saw families unable to afford food for their dogs. He saw street animals receiving less help than before. He created what he called "saquinhos mata fome"—hunger-killer bags—small portions of food distributed freely. As the donations grew, he formalized the effort into something he named the Bolsa Ração Ruby Fofa, a food assistance program that used the platform he and Ruby had built to channel resources to people and animals in crisis.
The turning point came when Specialdog, a pet food manufacturer, approached Miguel with a partnership offer. They began donating approximately 150 kilograms of ration each month. With that steady supply, Miguel's informal street distributions became a structured initiative: Project Ruby Fofa. Over time, the project has distributed more than five tons of dog food across São Paulo. The focus has shifted somewhat—now it centers primarily on street animals and people experiencing homelessness—but Miguel still helps anyone who reaches out, whether they are unemployed, part of an NGO, or simply unable to feed their animals.
Marcio Saad, a sixty-one-year-old who works in commercial sales, was one of those people. During the pandemic, when his work dried up and his finances collapsed, Miguel and Ruby helped sustain him for about a year. When Saad's situation improved, he turned around and donated bags of food back to the project, so Miguel could help others in turn.
Miguel has leveraged the social media success into merchandise—branded Ruby Fofa products that he sells online. The revenue is modest, but he commits approximately fifty percent of the profits directly back into the project, buying more food for abandoned dogs. Beyond the logistics of distribution, Miguel uses his platform to advocate for animal adoption, to raise awareness about the public health dimensions of abandoned animals, and to connect dogs without homes to families willing to take them in. His message is simple: every street dog has the potential to become a Ruby. They just need someone to rescue them and love them.
The project accepts donations through a Pix transfer to projetorubyfofa@gmail.com. Miguel remains reachable through social media for anyone wanting to contribute or learn more. What began as a man finding a frightened dog under a car has become a distributed network of care moving through the city on the back of a motorcycle.
Citações Notáveis
This love that Ruby awakened in me made me want to do more than just post our daily life online. While she eats ration and shredded chicken, other animals are suffering hunger and cold on the streets.— Miguel Pereira de Souza Junior, motoboy and founder of Project Ruby Fofa
They helped me for about a year when I was in serious financial and work difficulty, especially during the pandemic. When I recovered, I helped them with bags of ration so they could help other people.— Marcio Saad, recipient of Project Ruby Fofa assistance
A Conversa do Hearth Outra perspectiva sobre a história
Why did Miguel decide to turn this into something bigger than just keeping Ruby?
He watched Ruby recover from illness and thrive. He realized that same love and care could extend to other animals he saw suffering on the same streets. It wasn't a grand plan—it was a simple recognition that if he could save one dog, why not try to help more.
The pandemic seems to have been a turning point. What changed?
The pandemic made everything visible at once. Unemployment spiked. Families couldn't feed their pets. Street animals got less attention because people were struggling themselves. Miguel saw the gap widening and decided to fill it.
How does a motoboy making modest wages sustain this kind of operation?
He doesn't do it alone. A pet food company saw what he was doing and partnered with him. They donate 150 kilograms monthly. He also sells branded merchandise and puts half the profit back into the project. It's not much, but it's consistent.
What does the social media following actually do for the work?
It amplifies reach. People see Ruby and Miguel, they connect with the story, they want to help. It also creates accountability—people are watching, so the work stays visible and real. The followers become part of the network.
Is this sustainable long-term?
That depends on whether the partnerships hold and whether people keep donating. Miguel isn't wealthy. He's betting that enough people care enough to keep this going. So far, they have.
What's the deeper message Miguel is trying to send?
That you don't need to be rich or powerful to change things. A motoboy with a rescued dog can distribute five tons of food and help hundreds of people. The barrier isn't resources—it's willingness.