When one family decided they were ready to adopt a dog, they quickly came across a pit bull they thought would be perfect. However, what they didn’t know was that this pit bull came with some strings attached. This family soon realized how unbreakable the bond shared between these two dogs was.
20. Two Pals
Merrill the Pit Bull and Taco the Chihuahua are the two best friends that you’ll ever meet. These two are inseparable and they go just about everywhere together. So how did they wind up at a shelter together?
19. Shelter Life
Merrill and Taco were both surrendered to San Francisco’s Rocket Dog Rescue. Not much is known about their previous owner, however, there is one thing that everyone at the shelter soon realized. Taco and Merrill were absolute best friends.
18. Rocket Dog Rescue
Rocket Dog Rescue is a volunteer-based organization in San Francisco. The organization works incredibly hard to help out abused and abandoned dogs. Their end goal is to save as many dogs from being euthanized as possible.
17. Shelter Workers
Workers at Rocket Dog Rescue were in absolute awe at how close the pair of dogs they had just been given was. However, the idea was truly cemented in when it was found that Merrill was suffering from a severe uterine tract infection.
16. Surgery
In order to fix Merrill’s problem, the sweet pit bull would have to undergo surgery. While Merrill was in the operating room, rescue workers immediately noticed a change in Taco’s behavior. The poor Chihuahua was on edge and incredibly nervous.
15. Anxious Mess
Throughout the entire procedure, Taco was an anxious mess. Animal shelter workers could barely get him to settle down. Finally, Merrill had come out of surgery and even though the vets wanted to keep her in isolation to heal, Taco proved difficult.
14. Reunited
Eventually, rescuers got the hint that these two dogs could not be separated. Soon after, Taco was allowed into Merrill’s recovery room. They had never seen two dogs happier to see each other.
13. Side By Side
Taco proved to be a loyal companion to Merrill. All throughout her recovery, he refused to leave her side. He was very attentive to all of Merrill’s needs. The staff was absolutely blown away by the sheer dedication of this tiny dog.
12. Nurse Taco
It turns out that little Taco was the best nurse out of them all. Although everyone found this incredibly endearing, they also knew that this would pose a problem for later. But how could two dogs with such a strong bond ever be a problem?
11. Hard To Adopt
Although the bond shared between these two was beautiful, shelter staff knew it would be a liability later on. From experience, the staff at the shelter knew that bonded dogs are almost impossible to get adopted. After all, most people aren’t typically on the market for more than one dog.
10. Listed Separately
So the shelter decided to list the two dogs separately. They hoped that they would instead be able to find two wonderful homes for the two of them. However, they had no idea just how persistent these two would be about staying together.
9. A Man
One day, a man came into the shelter looking to specifically adopt Merrill. After filling out all of the paperwork and getting everything together it was finally time for Merrill to go with him. However, as soon as she was taken out of the cage with Taco she refused to stop howling. The man had no idea what was going on!
8. The Story
Staff then began to tell the man the story of Merrill and Taco’s friendship and how close they both were. The man listened intently and understood they could not be separated after all. However, he couldn’t take both dogs so he decided to get another dog instead.
7. New Strategy
The shelter realized they would have to adopt an entirely new strategy when it came to Taco and Merrill. So they quickly changed their online listing to the two of them and a wonderful woman named Jodi offered to foster them in the meantime. Then, something amazing happened.
6. Family
Soon enough, a family from San Jose saw the listing and had quickly fallen in love with Merrill and Taco’s story. So the family headed out to Jodi’s place so they could meet the two dogs. They instantly fell in love with them and knew they wanted to adopt them!
5. Health Problems
However, some bad news would soon follow the pair just as they were about to be adopted. Taco, at 8-years-old, was having a lot of complicated health issues. It was found that Taco’s heart was enlarged and fluid was surrounding his lungs.
4. Medication
Taco was quickly put on some medication and the family began to prepare for the worst. However, Taco turned out to be a true fighter. Not to mention, Merrill returned the favor and stayed by Taco’s side through it all.
3. Improvements
With the right medication, Taco’s condition began to improve. Although he still has some respiratory issues and is on medication, they haven’t stopped Taco from making the most of his life. The family still went through with the adoption and are so happy they did.
2. Still Together
Even though Merrill is much younger and filled with energy, she and Taco are still just as inseparable as ever. Although Taco can’t keep up with Merrill’s youthful energy, the two of them have found other ways to keep each other company. Snuggling is definitely one of Taco’s favorites.
1. Happy Family
Taco and Merrill are now a part of a big and happy family. The two of them are lucky enough to have been adopted together by a family that truly loves them!