A closely bonded pair of dogs who had never been separated nearly faced a future apart after one of them was adopted from a Washington animal shelter. Then a staffer who was fostering the other dog stepped in and saved the day, Kitsap Humane Society said March 11 on Facebook. The animal shelter is located in Silverdale, about a 35-mile drive west of Seattle. A family surrendered Chief and Peaches to the shelter just before Christmas, the shelter said. The dogs’ family was moving and both of them exceeded the weight limit required by their family’s new home, the shelter said in the post.
“This challenge is a reality for many families,” the shelter said, “with Chief, a 10-year-old shepherd and Peaches, an 8-year-old terrier mix, the most recent animals to suffer from these restrictions.” Chief and Peaches were “nervous and confused,” but at least they had each other, the shelter said. “Housed in the same kennel, enjoying buddy walks and time as a set of office dogs, Chief and Peaches’ path was set as a bonded pair,” the shelter said. “A few weeks went by, their stay extending longer than most large dogs. Like all long-timers, their pathways were reevaluated, and the difficult decision was made to split the two, bettering their chances of adoption.” Chief went into foster care with a staff member while Peaches “stayed back in the shelter in hopes of finding her adopters,” the shelter said. “And it worked,” the shelter said. “A local family came across Peaches’ profile online and visited the shelter. They fell in love, and Peaches was off to her new home on Feb. 10. But their ‘tail’ does not end there. The adoptions counselor who had been taking care of Chief heard Peaches was adopted and reached out to the family to share “the history of their new dog and the bond she had with her pal, still searching for his home,” the shelter said. After hearing of their new pup’s long-time friend, the family brought Peaches back to the humane society a few weeks later on Feb. 23, the shelter said. “Out the shelter doors came Chief for the last time, oblivious to who was waiting for him,” the shelter said. “Peaches’ family was so moved by the story of these two pups that they returned to adopt Chief, reuniting the two best friends. Because a staff member went above and beyond for the greater good of two amazing dogs, and the family that gave them the opportunity for a lifetime of happiness together.” Photos show the pals enjoying pup cups together, posing with their new family and sitting on the couch and gazing through the window together in their new home.
