Culture

People Are In Love With This Disabled Puppy And His Fat Pigeon Friend Who Can’t Fly

"Oh to be a small dog hanging out with a pigeon."

by Michelle Rennex  19 February 2020
lundy herman puppy pigeon friend

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On Valentine’s Day, The Mia Foundation posted a photo of a pigeon and chihuahua cuddled up together on a dog bed.

The photos of Herman, the pigeon who cannot fly, and Lundy, the chihuahua who cannot walk, quickly went viral on Facebook and Twitter. The unlikely duo captured the hearts of people online not only because of their teeny-tiny size, but also for their pretty impressive photoshoot.

Both Herman and Lundy are residents at The Mia Foundation, a non-profit shelter for animals with birth defects in New York. While Herman has been at the shelter for years due to never recovering from his inability to fly, Lundy has only been in care for the last four weeks.

The 8-week-old chihuahua came from a breeder in South Carolina who couldn’t care for Lundy’s disability. Once Herman and Lundy were in the shelter together, Sue Rogers, founder of The Mia Foundation, introduced the pair.

“I set Herman on a dog bed and started caring for Lundy, and I decided to carefully put Lundy in the same dog bed next to him,” Sue told People. “The way they interacted was so cute.”

After taking photos of the pair and uploading them online, Sue was shocked by the response she had. The Mia Foundation’s original post of Herman and Lundy was shared over 45,000 times, which thankfully brought in donations for the shelter.

“Just from a simple picture of a pigeon and a puppy being shared, we’ve already brought in over $6,000 in donations,” Sue told WHEC. In a Facebook post, Sue further explained that these donations would be used for upcoming surgeries for the pets in her care.

While Herman the pigeon is a permanent shelter resident, Sue is hopeful that Lundy can be re-homed in the future. According to People, Sue is looking into getting Lundy a wheelchair to help his walk once he gets a little bigger.

Until then, Sue has taken to the Mia Foundation Facebook page to provide updates on the new best friends with fresh photos and videos. “It’s pretty funny how we have a puppy that can’t walk and a pigeon that can’t fly, yet these two made it around the world over the last few days,” Sue said in a thank you video to everyone who had become invested in the pair’s story.

“It brings me to tears to think that our little Herman is known worldwide now. I’ve been called crazy for keeping Herman alive and trying to make his life a happy one,” Sue continued. “His life has meaning too. And Lundy….well, who wouldn’t love that sweet little nugget?”

Anyway, I’m crying now so that’s cool. If you’d like to donate to The Mia Foundation to keep special needs animals like Herman and Lundy alive and well, you can do so here.

Junkee have reached out to The Mia Foundation to learn more about the Herman, Lundy and the shelter.