You hear about these stories all the time. I dare you to watch this video report from the ABC show 20/20, and make sure you have a box of tissues- it will make water come from your eyes.
From ABC News.com
Putting two dogs of different breeds and from different backgrounds together in a confined space will usually end up in a lot of bark and likely some bite. Rarely does that pairing end up in the two pooches becoming an inseparable pair.
That latter, more unlikely scenario was just the case, however, with two young dogs in Oklahoma who not only built a friendship but also cured each other’s ills.
Blair is a 1-year-old black Labrador mix brought to the Woodland West Animal Hospital in Tulsa, Okla., after she was shot while living on the streets. After he recovered from his wounds, Blair remained at the clinic, a timid and nervous pup whose difficult history made her hard to place with an adopted family, the hospital’s director, Dr. Mike Jones, told ABCNews.com.
Then there was Tanner, a two-year-old Golden Retriever puppy who was born blind and with a seizure disorder so severe he was sent to Woodland Hospital as a last resort after his first owner died and the Oklahoma City-based Sooner Golden Retriever Rescue organization that had assumed his care, was unable to find a family to give him the around-the-clock care he needed.
“His seizure disorder was really, really bad and nothing — no medications — seemed to be helping,” Jones said. “Anytime he [Tanner] seizes he expresses his bowels. It’s a nightmare anytime you have a 90-lb dog experiencing this nightly; it made living in a home very, very difficult.”
Tanner and Blair lived with their respective conditions until the two were placed together a few months ago in a chance encounter, first reported by local ABC affiliate KTUL.
“One day they were exercising in a play yard together and they got together, Jones said. “Blair all of a sudden seemed to realize that Tanner was blind and just started to help him around.”
Recognizing the dogs’ immediate connection, hospital staff began to board Tanner and Blair together, and the results spoke for themselves.
Tanner had been seizing almost nightly, Jones said. ”After two or three weeks, we realized Tanner wasn’t seizing anymore. He’s not completely seizure free but it’s not constant anymore.”
“We’ve worked with a lot of different service dogs to provide these services for people,” said Jones. “But it’s the first time I’ve seen anything like this, the special relationship these two dogs have.”
The bond is so strong and instinctive that if Tanner has a leash on, Blair will pick it up and guide her friend around, according to Jones. Likewise, he said, Tanner has had a calming influence on Blair, making the former street dog much less timid and anxious.
The next task is to find the two dogs a home together to continue their joint recovery.
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