Sometimes the sweetest friendships form between shelter animals. These bonds are especially important for pets with disabilities — a special friend can change their life and help them navigate the world.
The downside is that when two rescue pets become “bonded,” it can be more of a challenge to find them a home: you need to find someone willing to take in two pets at once.
But one sweet pair of shelter dogs recently got a holiday miracle — two years after they were abandoned at Christmastime.
Saluki dogs Eve and Dasher have been an inseparable pair ever since the arrived at the RSPCA Southridge Animal Centre, under sad circumstances. They were abandoned in a shed by their owner, along with two other dogs, just days before Christmas in 2019.
The dogs, who had been used for hunting, were all underweight and sick, and had clearly been mistreated: “All four dogs were really nervous upon arrival and it didn’t seem as though they’d had much human interaction in their lives,” Cathie Ward of the shelter told Metro.
However, the dogs’ condition soon improved. They got the love and care they needed. The other dogs, Angel and Tinsel, soon found homes — but things were harder for Eve and Dasher.
But while they couldn’t find homes, they still had each other — and formed an inseparable bond: Eve was deaf, and Dasher became her loyal companion.
It’s the sort of friendship that is invaluable to a special needs dog, but poses an extra challenge: the RSPCA knew they had to find Eve and Dasher a home as a duo.
It proved to be a challenge: over a year passed, and the RSPCA found “little interest” in the dogs. In addition to being a packaged item, the dogs were still quite skittish and couldn’t be in a home with children or other pets.
But they continued to have faith that there was someone out there willing to take them in as a team.
“They’re just the most playful, cuddly, sweetest dogs and we are desperate to find a suitable home for them,” RSPCA Southridge wrote on Facebook.
But after 18 months in the shelter, these dogs finally got the miracle they were waiting for.
According to Metro, a couple named Kelly Coupland and Scott Marshall fell in love with the dogs after losing their own pet Saluki cross in February.
Kelly says she loves the “sass and character” of the breed — so they had no problem opening their hearts to two Salukis at once: they adopted Eve and Dasher!
Despite everything the dogs have been through, these dogs have settled in to their new forever home nicely: “They have settled in really well especially considering how long they were in kennels,” Kelly told Metro. “Evie loves to be with somebody a lot of the time so she loves to sit on the sofa with me.”
The dogs are now living their best life. According to the RSPCA, the new owners took their dogs on vacation to a rented cottage, where the dogs enjoyed playing in the sand.
“Evie very much likes to be the centre of attention and Dasher is growing in confidence everyday and he is very much a mummy’s boy and will come and cuddle up to me,” the owner said, according to the RSPCA. “I think they are enjoying all these new experiences.”
And with the holidays approaching, Eve and Dasher will get to experience their first Christmas in a loving home, almost exactly two years after they were abandoned.
We’re so glad that Eve and Dasher have found a home together! These sweet, beautiful dogs are a perfect team and we’re so glad they are still together, especially after all they’ve been through.
Hope these great dogs have a very Merry Christmas in their new home! Share this amazing news!
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