PASTO, Colombia – Holding little Salomon in his arms, Michael Ruiz recounted how he found the pet next to his sister’s body among the rubble after Colombia’s devastating earthquake.

The 7.4-magnitude earthquake, which struck the western parts of Colombia on Aug 10, has killed at least 294 people and injured nearly 4,000 others.

Ruiz said his sister, Lenny, who worked as a lawyer, sacrificed herself to save the dog by shielding it with her body when their building collapsed in Cali, one of the cities hit hardest by the quake.

The story of Lenny and Salomon has gone viral on social media, as many remained desperate to locate their pets after the disaster.

“My sister gave her life for him because she was holding him against her chest, and the whole structure fell on top of her,” Ruiz said through tears in the city of Pasto.

“I see it as a love story because obviously she loved that little animal… When you love something, you protect it,” Ruiz said.

Salomon is 12 years old and suffers from epileptic seizures that have left him blind.

Ruiz and rescuers managed to find him after digging through the debris.

Six days after the quake, many pet owners held onto hope that their missing animals would be found alive.

Jessica Florez, Lenny’s sister-in-law, said the dog is sad over his owner’s passing.

A video of Salomon on top of Lenny’s coffin has been viewed tens of thousands of times on social media.

“I brought him close to her coffin so he could say goodbye,” Florez said. AFP