Basset Hound Adopts Baby Squirrel Who Fell From Tree, Protects Him Like a Good Big Brother
Any dog parent can tell you about more than one occasion when their pooch suddenly started barking while looking out the window and locking glances with a scurrying squirrel. There’s no telling when a squirrel or other small critter will pop up and surprise the both of you. It’s just canine instinct to go after those tiny balls of fuzz! That said, the basset hound in the photos below couldn’t be more different from his fellow four-legged friends.
Pongo the basset hound discovered a small squirrel while out in his backyard for a potty break in 2016. His owner describes him as usually a very quiet dog, so she instantly knew something was wrong when she heard him barking up a storm. The hound dog led her to his source of concern: a tiny, four-week-old squirrel who had clearly fallen from a nest in the nearby tree. The first issues they noticed right away were the squirrel’s extra-skinny body and a hump on his back. “I honestly didn’t think he would survive, but I doted on him and made him comfortable,” the owner explains on Instagram.
Because of his tiny hump, the squirrel was named after the titular character from The Hunchback of Notre Dame: Quasimodo. Thankfully, the little guy thrived with Pongo constantly by his side. Their journey did come with a few scares along the way, though. Following a move to a new home, Quasimodo (who usually goes by the nickname Quasi) suffered a seizure. This was likely caused by his fall at such a young age, which also left him almost completely blind. He still gets seizures once a month or so, but he is under the care of a veterinarian, as well as his loving family. Pongo also continues to be Quasi’s fiercest (and sweetest) protector, keeping the family’s cats away when they start to get too feisty with the little guy.
As far as odd animal friendships go, these two are certainly among the cutest twosomes we’ve seen so far. Thank goodness Pongo’s kind nature helped Quasi find the perfect home in which to recover and grow stronger. Because of his blindness and seizures, he likely won’t ever be able to rejoin his natural habitat. That said, there’s no doubt Quasi is living a pretty great life with his adopted big brother, Pongo. Check out their Instagram and YouTube pages for even more fun clips of the adorable duo!
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