Dogs are such caring, compassionate animals. They have great protective instincts, and will often take an animal under their wing if they sense they need a helping hand.
That was the case for one rеscuе dog, who became a guardian and best friend to an orphaned foal.
Karla Swindle is the owner of S & K Quarter Horses in Fayette, Alabama. A few years ago, one of her horses, a 22-year-old mare named Sandy, had to be euthanized due to declining health.
The dеаth was especially heartbreaking for Sandy’s foal, Tye, who was left orphaned at only 9 days old.
But an unexpected friend quickly took to comforting the orphaned baby horse: Karla’s dog, Zip.
“Zip stayed with me in the alley of the barn all night — the foal was laying in the alley, and he just lay there beside the foal,” Karla told The Dodo.
Sensing Tye’s heartbreak, Karla says the dog stayed with the foal all night, comforting him with a sympathetic paw.
“We raise foals every year, and he would kind of look in the door and just look at them,” Karla told The Dodo. “You could tell Zip knew something was wrong that night.”
“This is the first time he has ever just licked on one, nudged one, laid on one,” she told the Tribune.
Zip continued to look after Tye every day for weeks, and was eager to see his friend every morning.
“Every time I would take off to the barn, Zip would run to the stall, and stand in front of the stall and wait for me to get there,” Karla told The Dodo. “He would beat me to the barn every time.”
