In the history of unlikely partnerships, a pigeon and a puppy must rank pretty high. The idea that a bird could be best friends with a small dog sounds like something that should be kept for a Disney or Pixar movie. Yet a video has recently gone viral showing exactly that.
The video comes from The Mia Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Sue Rogers in 2012. The organization was named after a pet chihuahua that Sue owned. Her chihuahua named Mia had been born with complications since birth and died after 22 months from pneumonia. Since then Rogers has strived to help any animal that suffered from abnormal defects, outcasts of the animal world.
Recently the Mia Foundation shared a video of a small chihuahua and a pigeon that appears to be best friends. The video went viral and everyone wanted an explanation. It turns out that the chihuahua is named Little Lundy. Little Lundy is a very special dog as she has a damaged spinal cord and suffers from a condition known as swimmer syndrome. This means that Little Lundy’s legs are permanently spread out to the sides making it almost impossible for her to walk.
The pigeon is named Herman. Herman was found on the pavement outside a car dealership. The pigeon was not flying and people assumed it had a broken wing. However, the pigeon stayed in the same place for days, huddled on the ground. It turned out that Herman had neurological damage and couldn’t fly. Local veterinarians believed that euthanization was the best option. As soon as the Mia Foundation heard about Herman, they stepped in.
While a puppy and a pigeon might not sound like a great partnership, a puppy that can’t walk and a pigeon that can’t fly are a perfect match. One day Sue placed the pigeon beside the puppy and was amazed at how they interacted. In the viral video, they can be seen playing with each other, staying close to each other, and looking after each other. It appears as if the pair have spotted something that they see in themselves in their new found friend and want to stay close to them.
Sue hopes that the viral video will bring more attention to the Mia Foundation and more awareness of pets with these types of disabilities. Despite the ailments of both the puppy and the pigeon, they are clearly living a happy life in the video. It shows that there are alternatives for these animals outside of euthanization. One visit to the Facebook page of the Mia Foundation reveals a dog currently up for adoption with no hind legs. He is in a wheelchair and has had a tough life. These animals despite being born with birth defects and having tough starts to life, deserve a little affection.
Sue says that since she started the Mia Foundation she has helped around 500 animals. More powerful than that she says she has seen her work change the mind of many professionals in the industry about how to deal with animals with birth defects. In the past, many of these animals were put down at birth but now they are starting to look at ways to give them a good life.
The motto of the Mia Foundation is “Helping animals born with birth defects. Because if they are born, they deserve a chance to live”. The powerful motto has resonated with many and Sue Rogers says she will continue to do her work for the foreseeable future. Since the birth of the Mia Foundation, she has never taken a single day off and says she likely never will.
