This is the sweetest story of two best friends, one with fins and the other with paws, who not only enjoyed each other’s company but who also brought so much joy to this small community. I found it so intriguing that I had to dig deeper to find out more on how this budding friendship developed.
The Global Animal reports that “According to residents, when Duggie lost her dolphin mate in 2006, she stayed in the area off Ireland’s Tory island where her partner died. Fortunately, Duggie soon met the seafaring labrador, Ben, and they’ve spent their days playing together ever since.”
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Perhaps it was love at first sight. We may never know for sure but ever since that fateful day, Ben would make routine trips to the harbor, pace back and forth, and wait for his aquatic friend to arrive. Besides the friendship, what’s also amazing is that this dog, not built for endurance swimming, is out there in the water playing with the dolphin for hours at a time several times a day. In the video below you can see how hard his legs have to work just to keep up with his friend who glides effortlessly through the water. All I can think of is that Ben must be one athletic, healthy dog! Enjoy the video and which just happens to be perfectly accompanied by James Taylor.
I found this to be one of the most inspirational stories of inter-species relationships which helps to serve as yet another reminder of how we all are truly connected. How fascinating it is to witness these kind of dynamics and what a privilege it is to share this planet with these sweet souls. If you want to explore more of these, take a look at my previous post: Are We Really A Dog’s Best Friend?
I really enjoyed watching this and reading about it. I can’t believe I didn’t hear about this before. I look forward to the other posts you have about these unlikely friends. Thanks for sharing!
Dog and Dolphin; Thelma and Louise… Friends always find each other!