When a man walked into Rocket Dog Rescue in San Francisco looking for a puppy to take home, he immediately felt an emotional bond with 3-year-old Pitbull Merrill. But when it came time to adopt her, they ran into a problem: Merrill refused to leave her best friend at the shelter! Rocket Dog Rescue volunteers work hard every day to rescue discarded and abused puppies from overcrowded shelters.
Rocket Dog Rescue’s mission is to save dogs from euthanasia and they often rescue those struggling to find adoptive homes. In 2014, the organization took in an ailing Pitbull and his eight-year-old Chihuahua companion named Taco. Although no one knew who their former owner was, it became clear that these two had formed an inseparable bond: every time they were separated, they moaned until they were reunited again. Merrill the Chihuahua provided comfort to his older friend during her stay at the rescue; truly moving evidence of the power of friendship.
Not long after, the shelter began to witness firsthand how strong their bond was when they showed up to surrender. Merrill had a severe urinary tract infection and required surgery to survive; Taco couldn’t stop walking during his time under the knife. Once he was out of surgery, volunteers tried to separate them so Merrill could recover faster, but it proved futile; Both dogs were inconsolable without each other’s presence! The staff eventually stopped trying and let these two furry friends stay together until their final days at the shelter.
Taco and Meryl remained devoted to each other in the recovery room, wowing volunteers with their unwavering loyalty. Although they were incredibly touched by this connection, they were also worried that they would have a hard time finding a home; Past experiences had shown that bonded dogs are often more difficult to adopt because most people cannot adopt two at a time.
Wanting to find the perfect home for Taco and Merrill, the shelter listed each of them separately on its website. Unfortunately, since older dogs are more difficult to adopt than younger ones, few people showed interest in adopting poor Taco. But fortunately, Merrill’s story was different; One day, a kind man visited the shelter looking to bring home a puppy!
Instantly, the man was captivated by Merrill. She had just completed all of her paperwork and as soon as she saw her, she made up her mind: she would come home with him. But once Merrill was taken out of the cage while Taco remained inside, a loud howl echoed throughout, unnerving the pet’s new owner. That’s when volunteers revealed that Taco and Merrill were inseparable friends who didn’t want to be apart from each other!
Understanding their condition, the man was determined to make sure they stayed together. Although he was only able to take in one dog, he finally came to a solution that would benefit both; As a result, the shelter modified his strategy and decided that keeping the two friends joined at the hip was best for them. After updating her listing on her website with this new development, an amazing volunteer named Jody responded immediately and offered foster care until these inseparable pups found a home.
Miraculously, a San Jose family discovered the shelter’s website and fell in love with Taco and Merrill. They traveled to Jodie’s house to meet them in person and knew they wanted them at her house right away. Although the pups’ adventure wasn’t over yet (Taco had several health problems due to his age, including asthma and a dental disease that left him with only four teeth), they couldn’t have been more excited for their new beginning together.
Initially, the family thought Taco’s symptoms were minor and could be easily managed at home. Unfortunately, after visiting the vet a month later, it turned out to be much more serious than they had imagined: Taco was suffering from an enlarged heart with fluid in his lungs that would soon lead to cardiac arrest if left untreated. He was prescribed medication while he waited for an appointment with the specialist immediately.
