Life sometimes writes truly incredible stories. If we take a closer look at the world of dogs, we will realize that it is precisely in this world that there are most of them.
The best proof of this is two German Shepherds named Bruno and Ollie, who both had difficult fates before they met at Benton-Franklin Humane Society (BFHS) in Kennewick, Washington.
Ollie was found tied to the shelter door with another dog. Soon after that, he had to watch that same dog go to a forever home while he remained between the four walls of his kennel.
Bruno, on the other hand, came to the shelter when he was a puppy and was soon adopted by a loving family. Unfortunately, they quickly surrendered him to that same shelter because one of the family members who cared for him got too sick.
Yet, even though it didn’t seem like it at the time, it would soon turn out that these difficult moments would lead them to the happiest ending.
Unique Bond
Ollie spent 537 days in the shelter, while Bruno lived there for 280 days. Many months earlier, when they first came to the shelter, fate brought them together in the same playgroup at BFHS.
It quickly became clear to employees as well as volunteers that these two GSs were born to be together – they formed a truly unique bond.
“They’ve been friends for a while, and they’ve always liked to play together,” Julie Saraceno, a volunteer dog walker at the shelter, told The Dodo.
During the next few months at the shelter, these two dogs lived in neighboring kennels. Together, they experienced beautiful moments but also sad ones like when they had to watch other dogs go to forever homes.
However, this is exactly what brought them even closer, and after a while, Ollie and Bruno became completely inseparable.
A True Miracle
The shelter staff really enjoyed watching Ollie and Bruno together. Yet, they were also very sad that these dogs were still in the shelter and that even if someone did adopt them, they would probably have to continue living their lives apart.
However, everything changed one day when Tana Whelan and her husband, Paul, came to their shelter in Kennewick, Washington. These two great souls planned to adopt one dog, but they fell in love with both Bruno and Ollie.
For this very reason, they asked the shelter staff to take both dogs out to see if they would get along with each other. It was soon clear to these people that Ollie and Bruno not only get along well but have a truly special bond.
Then, they made a decision that no one at the shelter expected – a true miracle happened.
“I was like, ‘Great, we’ll take both,’” Whelan told The Dodo. “[The shelter workers] were shocked. The gal was like, ‘I have chills. I have goosebumps.’”
@juliesaraceno2 So happy for them. 🥹 #adopted #rescuedismyfavoritebreed #adoptashelterdog #tricitieswa ♬ The Kite Live by Luisa Marion – luisa_marion_music
It was general rejoicing at the shelter and no one could wait for that day to come. When it finally dawned, one shelter employee even came from vacation to say goodbye to Bruno and Ollie.
Everyone became very emotional – not so much because these two dogs finally found a forever home, but more because they were continuing their lives together.
An Inspiration To Others
As soon as Bruno and Ollie came to their new home, their family decided to give them new names – Pretzel and Poncho, in honor of their previous dogs, Pilot and Panda Bear. Pretzel and Poncho quickly adapted to the new environment and started thriving.
“I think having the two of them has really helped … because they already know each other. I think them having [someone] familiar has been really helpful,” Whelan said.
The Whelan family was over the moon about these two dogs and did not regret their decision to adopt them both. They had already brought them so much joy.
However, they hope that this beautiful story will not end here but will soon inspire other people to give a chance to dogs who have spent a long time in the shelter, regardless of the circumstances.
“I think it’s important that people understand what good dogs are at shelters,” Whelan said. “[Poncho and Pretzel] are really good boys, and there are so many dogs who have been in shelters longer than they have who are just good dogs, [too].”