Unusual Bond
Meet Max, the dog, and Quackers the duck. Max is a 12-year-old Husky and Quackers is a 4-year-old duck. These two are actually best friends, and you’ll never catch them apart.
They happen to live in a small town in Strout, Minnesota, and everyone loves them! You won’t believe what a ruckus they’ve made.
Small Town
The small town where they reside is home to only 25 people. For the people who live in this town, Max and Quakers' sight brings joy to their hearts. “_Sometimes on my way home, I actually hope they’re out there because they’re just too precious to look at_,” said neighbor Alisa Godejahn.
You won’t believe the traffic jams they cause.
Traffic Jam
No matter if it’s a rainy or sunny day, these two are always together and always traveling side by side.
In fact, Highway 28 often gets quite congested with traffic due to people stopping and snapping pics of the two together. So how did this friendship begin?
Adopted
Max was only 5 years old when Patrick and Kirsten Riley adopted him. He developed a very close bond with their other Husky, Sasha.
However, an unfortunate circumstance soon hit the pair.
Passing Away
Sasha eventually passed away, leaving poor Max to fend for himself without his closest friend.
Max was lonely and had no one to give his love and attention to. That was until he would meet his new best pal Quackers.
Quackers
The Rileys adopted Quackers when he was just a little duckling. Quackers was also a lonely fellow and didn’t have any friends around.
The Riley’s believe that this was what started the friendship between the two.
Instant Friendship
“_He was without any friends, and so Max would sit next to his pen all the time, and I think they just kind of bonded that way_,” Patrick said.
“_After we let him out, they just never left each other’s side_.” The pair were inseparable, and nobody could break their bond at this point.
A Connection
It seems that this unlikely duo was able to create a friendship out of a similar longing. Both were lonely, and both were looking for a pal to fill in the void in their hearts.
Kirsten continued to explain just how close the pair is, and you won’t believe it.
True Closeness
“_They sleep together, they eat together, they drink together, they go for walks together down the road. Everything is together_,” Kirsten added.
Most of the time, the pair can be seen talking a stroll down Highway 28, where most of the townspeople see them and where most traffic starts…
Picture Time
“_We see people stopping over there all the time. The traffic gets clogged up over there sometimes because of all the pictures getting taken_,” Alisha Godejahn added.
The funniest part is that people end up sending the pictures to the Riley’s, and their reaction is priceless.
Brighter Days
The Riley’s love receiving photos from all of the neighbors and absolutely adore that their two animals can bring everyone so much joy.
“_They love it. They say it brightens their day. They’re so happy to see this different friendship and love_,” Kirsten said. However, Max isn’t the young pup he once was…
Aging
The Riley’s are quite aware that Max is getting older and is no longer a young dog. In fact, he happens to be 84 years old in human years.
So this friendship duo is made even more special as Max was able to accept someone so different from him at such an old age.
Forever Friend
“_Some people have said that a duck will find a mate, a companion, and once they have that companion, they’re set_,” Kirsten said. “_And that’s what Quackers found with Max_.”
If you loved this unlikely pairing, then you’ll fall in love with this next real-life Fox and Hound friendship!
The Fox & The Hound
Whether or not you’ve seen Disney’s epic film The Fox and The Hound, you’ll still be able to appreciate this amazing friendship between Tinni the dog and Sniffer, the wild fox.
The way these two met is like right out of a storybook.
Norwegian Forest
Tinni, the dog, met Sniffer, the fox when he and his owner were walking through a Norwegian forest together. Tinni’s owner, photographer Torgeir Berge, was unsure about whether the two would actually get along.
However, they quickly became the best of friends, and he could capture some pretty amazing moments.
Captures
Berge now goes out of his way to follow Tinni and Sniffer around as they play in the forest. He uses his photography skills to capture some of the greatest moments between the pair as they run around the forest together.
The situation has even caused Berge to write a new book.
The Experience
The experience of bonding with a fox has changed Berge’s mind greatly about Norway’s fox-fur trade. He is working now to ban the hunting of foxes for their fur, and he hopes to accomplish this by writing a book called The Fox And The Dog.
He is currently working on it with fellow writer Berit Helberg. You’ll be stunned by what he plans to do with his earnings from the book.
Similarities
Berge began to notice “how similar foxes and dogs actually are” and labels the fox “the ‘dog of the forest.’”
A large portion of his proceeds from the book will be donated to help his conservation and anti-fur trade campaign.
Food For Thought
“_Why should some animals be in small, narrow, claustrophobic cages without freedom just because…humankind wants to look good_?” Berge noted.
We can obviously learn a little something from the kindness that these animals have shown to one another despite being a completely different species.
Strong Bonds
It isn’t every day that you see such strong bonds between animals.
Be sure to share this article with your animal-loving friends and family members so that they can fall in love with this amazing story as well.