An unusual dog story about two inseparable friends

 Dogs are man's best friend - but their love and loyalty aren't limited to just humans.

It was a regular  day at the Rocket Dog Rescue shelter in San Francisco, California, when a female pit bull terrier named Merrill and a male Chihuahua named Taco were handed over by their owners.

Nobody knew why, exactly, the two dogs were being given up, but the connection between the two pups soon became apparent, they became an inseparable pair. The shelter owners did their best to find them a loving family that would welcome them both.

Finding a home that would take both wasn’t as easy as it sounded, and it soon became apparent that the two friends might need to part ways.

However, Separating Merrill and Taco proved harder than the volunteers at the shelter thought.

Whenever they were separated - even  for a very short while - both dogs would cry and become anxious, it was too heartbreaking and the shelter's volunteers decided that breaking them apart just wasn't an option to even consider.

They finally decided to turn to social media and uploaded a really cute picture of the two together with the following caption:

“We just could not stand the thought of them being separated or waiting at the shelter for months to find a home TOGETHER so they are coming to Rocket Dog Rescue!!!”

The issue is that most people don't usually like to adopt even one dog from a shelter, let alone a package of two,  especially if one of them was an older dog, like Taco was.

Merrill was still young - and a beautiful pitbull mix, finding a potential adopter was not an issue to worry about. However, Taco was a totally different story. -

While the two inseparable duo  were staying together in the shelter, they couldn't stay in the shelter forever.

The people running Rocket Dog Rescue decided that rather than listing Merrill and Taco separately, they'd create a joint listing for both of them.

On their Facebook post about the two pups, they wrote

“These two love each other more than any bonded pair the shelter has ever seen. They cry when they leave each other’s side. This dynamic duo has lost their family, their home, and now we can’t let them lose each other!”

The post about Merrill and Taco didn’t take long before it went viral. It was easy to see that they were lovely dogs, their story touched the hearts of all those who read it.

Merrill and Taco's photo became a sensation.

Within a few hours, the post received over 14,000 likes, over a thousand comments and was ultimately shared over 26,000 times.

The enthusiasm people were showing was encouraging, but could internet fame translate into a real home for little Taco and Merrill?

People were  admiring their special bond and openly talking about it in their comments and posts. The shelter felt like it was only a matter of time before they'd be both adopted.

In the meantime, Jodi, a volunteer at the shelter, agreed to take the dogs home for foster care, until someone would give them a more permanent family.

Finally, someone stepped up and manifested their interest in adopting the unique pair.

A family from nearby San Jose  had seen them and fell in love with them, after seeing them in real life at Jodi’s house, they were smitten by them.

Merrill and Taco had finally found a home to welcome them both! But their journey was far from finished.Taco wasn't exactly a puppy by the time he and Merrill were adopted. Over the years, he'd actually developed several health issues, including asthma and dental disease, which left him with almost no teeth and a floppy tongue.

Image by @Merrill & Taco / Facebook

The adopting family were well aware of this, and decided to adopt him anyway - but less than a month after they adopted them, Taco's situation started to deteriorate, and the family decided it was time for him to see a doctor. What started out as a routine checkup turned into real concern after the vet told them that poor Taco was suffering from a severe heart condition.

Taco's heart was enlarged, and fluid was surrounding his lungs. If he was to survive, he'd need some serious help. The doctor explained that in order to prevent Taco's heart from failing, they would need to put him immediately on medication, and schedule a visit with a specialist.

 Taco's chances of making a full recovery were quite slim, due to his age - but his family was far from giving up on him. They smothered him with love and care. Merill surprised everyone as she refused to leave Taco’s side, she stood by him in everything, almost as if she was taking care for her ill friend.

 Merrill and Taco's bond seems to be the key to saving Taco's life, and  against all odds, Taco actually started getting better.

Thanks to the treatment, his heart condition stabilized and  the fluid around his lungs  receded. He would still need to be on medication for his lungs for life, but what matters is that he was doing well, that’s all his family cared about.

After his treatment, Taco and Merrill went back to playing together. Even though Taco may be smaller than his  friend, he still manages to keep up with her and doesn't miss a chance to play and goof around like small pups.

Since they were adopted in 2014, Taco and Merrill have been getting better, living their best life together with a loving family. 

While Merrill and Taco's family chose to remain anonymous, they opened a  Facebook page dedicated just for them, titled Merrill & Taco. The page has gained a lot of followers who love to see pictures of the cute duo doing fun things or simply laying around next to each other.

 

The two remain inseparable - and if they do get separated for some reason, even if just for a short while, they still cry out for each other like crazy.

When a full year had passed, the family took to Facebook once more and posted the following:

“It’s our 1 year anniversary!!!! We celebrated Merrill & Taco’s big day with a walk with friends. From left to right… Jack, Boo, Kim, Tigger, Merrill, Me & Taco. Kim is the one who posted the pic from Rocket Dog that got this whole ball rolling. Thanks Kim! It’s been a great year. We love them!!!”It's not hard to understand why this pit bull-Chihuahua duo is so popular.

They uploaded a photo of the two doggy friends cuddling by the fire, and captioned it: “Merrill & Taco are doing wonderful in their forever home. They are enjoying hanging out by the fire snuggling up after a long, fun filled day.”

Four months after this photo was taken, on May 5th, 2018, Taco quietly passed away. By this time, however, Merrill had learned to become independent and live away from her life-long best friend, and she continues to live a very happy life with her family - .

Rocket Dog Rescue is a volunteer-based organization with the mission of saving unwanted, sick, and abused dogs until they find a forever loving home. At Rocket Dog Rescue, they believe that every animal is eligible for adoption no matter their age and breed - and Merrill and Taco prove that they're right!