Right outside of the Cathedral of Our Lady Antwerp in Belgium, lies a massive statue of a boy sleeping with his pet dog under a blanket made of stone. At first glance, the statue seems “cute” but the story behind it is truly heartbreaking. The sculpture is of Nello and his rescued pet dog Patrasche, heroes of a famous 19th-century tale. In his life, Nello faced a mountain of hardships while battling poverty and hunger and ultimately lost his life by freezing to death in a church with his best friend by his side.