Stray dogs turn up at funeral of Mexican woman who fed them

A number of stray dogs turned up at the funeral of a Mexican woman who regularly fed them because they seemingly wanted to pay their respects.

Margarita Suarez from the city of Merida in Yucatan fed around 20 stray dogs and cats that would turn up at her home every morning, Misiones Online reported.

Ms Suarez would often give food to strays she saw around town, until her health deteriorated and she had to move in with her daughter before she died.

Her daughter Patricia Urrutia said the dogs turned up at the funeral home where her mother's body was being kept.

"Every time I saw a dog in the street meant coming home to feed," Ms Suarez's daughter said.

On the day of the funeral on March 15 the dogs formed a procession behind the hearse and returned to the funeral home, only leaving once the body was being prepared for cremation, it was reported.

"In pain, they jumped for joy, it was was wonderful," Ms Urrutia said.

Mourners and workers at the funeral home could not believe there were so many stray dogs there to pay their respects and shared photos of the forlorn pups on social media.