The Mia Foundation/FacebookListen, I know it’s that time of the week and we’re almost over the hump, but I can guarantee most of you still need a pick-me-up right about now.
Enter: Herman and Lundy, a pigeon that can’t fly and a chihuahua puppy that can’t walk, who have formed a fast friendship by becoming snuggle buddies at a rescue centre.
The two adorable animals met through The Mia Foundation, a rescue organisation in Rochester, New York, which rehabilitates animals with birth defects and physical deformities.
As soon as they met, the bond between the two was indisputable:
Herman was found a little over a year ago in the car park of a car dealership, where he had been sitting, not moving, for three days. His rescuers soon realised he had suffered neurological damage and couldn’t fly.
Wildlife rescuers in the area said the little fella couldn’t be rehabilitated and would need to be euthanised, but Sue Rogers – the founder of The Mia Foundation – took matters into her own hands and decided to take care of him herself.
Lundy, a chihuahua puppy, is a new arrival to the centre, after being sent there by his breeders because he was unable to use his hind legs – a condition known as swimmers syndrome. Rogers suspects the pup’s difficulty walking is due to damage to his spinal cord.
The Mia Foundation/FacebookWhile Herman rests in a baby crib for most of the day – having regular breaks outside to stimulate him – Sue put them together one day while attending to Lundy, and saw the pair cuddle up almost immediately.
Sue told WHEC TV:
Thursday night I took Herman out of his playpen to give him some time out and I put him in a dog bed. Then I had to tend to Lundy so I put Lundy in with him.
They just looked really cute together so I took some pictures and posted them to Facebook and the next morning it was crazy.
People from all over the world loved their new-found friendship, with the post going viral instantly – with tens and thousands of likes, shares and comments. ‘Just from a simple picture of a pigeon and a puppy being shared, we’ve already brought in over $6,000 in donations,’ Sue explained.
The Mia Foundation/FacebookThat money is enough to cover the high-end cost of a veterinary surgery that many of her rescue animals require – and for a non-profit that runs solely on donations and volunteers, it’s a pretty incredible feat.
While Herman will likely stay in Sue’s care for the rest of his life, she’s hopeful Lundy might already have a new home lined up for him – but only if he stays strong and survives.
Sue told CNN that for animals born with defects, there’s always ‘a chance we could lose them so we don’t want to make anyone really excited’.
The Mia Foundation/FacebookHopefully no matter what happens, this adorable duo will stick together through thick and thin, and we’ll get some more cute pictures soon.
Enjoy your day, folks.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).