They’re best pals, inseparable. Tillie the dog is being hailed as a hero for watching over her canine best friend, Phoebe, for a whole week after the two strayed from home and Phoebe ғᴇʟʟ into a cistern, according to the dogs’ ʀᴇsᴄᴜᴇʀ and owner.
Tillie and Phoebe are two very good friends who live in the same home. In September, they ʀᴀɴ ᴀᴡᴀʏ from their human during a walk, on Vashon Island in the US. Worried when they didn’t come home that night, their family contacted the association Vashon Isʟᴀɴᴅ Pᴇᴛ Pʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛᴏʀs. Duft said:” Tillie would ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ leave even if the gate was left open, but she’s best friends with Phoebe, and so when Phoebe follows her little basset hound nose, Tillie always goes with her to make sure she’s OK. They’re best pals, inseparable.” The volunteers at the Vashon Island, have been searching for the two dogs, but unsuccessfully. They sadly found no trace of the two dogs.
Carey, a volunteer at the Vanish Island said:” We had been out looking for about a week when we heard from a farmer here who noticed a reddish dog on his property. She had quietly approached him, and when she got his attention, turned around and headed back toward this ravine nearby. I decided to go check it out.” They discovered that Tillie was trying to find some help during all that time, while her companion, Phoebe got sᴛᴜᴄᴋ into the cistern, ᴜɴᴀʙʟᴇ to get out.
Carey added:” When I got there and looked down, Tillie saw me but didn’t come running up. She just stayed near the edge of this cistern, pressed with her head as close as she could get. Had she run-up, we might have ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ realized that Phoebe was down there. She just stayed put, making it so clear that I had to come to her so I would see her friend. When I saw what was happening, tears were immediate. It was just so touching. Tillie showed true kindness and devotion to her canine companion. No doubt she was aware that her poor friend’s ғᴀᴛᴇ lay in her hands. If she had left her to go back to her home, Phoebe would have almost certainly ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ be found again. When I saw what was happening, tears were immediate. It was just so touching.”
By pure luck, after a week in the ᴡɪʟᴅᴇʀɴᴇss, the two dogs were astonishingly well. They had water thanks to a rainfall. And even if they had hardly eaten anything, at least they were able to sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇ waiting for help. They got back to their owner, who couldn’t stop her tears of joy when saw them! It was very touching, but in a way not surprising given what we know about dogs as loyal friends. So very grateful to find them safe.
