Two new furry residents arrived together at Miami Dade Animal Services in September.
When the duo first arrived, Rocky was placed on the adoption floor, while Schwabo, who was limping due to his arthritis, was sent to the back for observation.
Jani Bradford, a volunteer at the shelter, saw Schwabo change dramatically when he was separated from Rocky. His lonely howls pulled at her heartstrings, and she watched him staring out the glass divider searching for his friend.
Without Rocky, he seemed lost and confused, he cried a lot, and even refused to eat.
“He grew up looking up to Rocky and now, even though he’s older, Rocky is like his big brother,” Bradford said. “He’s very, very attached to Rocky.”
When they took a video of the crying dog and posted it on Facebook, however, it went viral, with over 30,000 people viewing the heartbreaking scene.
The shelter did in fact receive an early application for Rocky, which meant potentially separating the pair permanently. However, the applicant never showed up and the two dogs were reunited—Schwabo could not have been happier.
“Schwabo was a different dog from the moment he saw Rocky,” Bradford said.
“Rocky’s older but he acts like a puppy. He loves playing with the ball, he can play all day long,” Bradford said. “Schwabo acts a little older … He’s very calm, very low maintenance.”
Thankfully, due to some good news, the two dogs will never need to worry about being separated again.
At the time of writing, both are still available for adoption.
Schwabo and Rocky have certainly had some difficult times these last few months. But now they’re out of the shelter, and most importantly back together again. The two friends are all smiles.
