When Alaina Brinton ʟᴏsᴛ her senior dog, she decided to welcome a new pup into her home – but the woman didn’t know she would end up adopting not one, but two ɪɴsᴇᴘᴀʀᴀʙʟᴇ dogs.
Lucy and Sully ᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴜᴘ at the sʜᴇʟᴛᴇʀ around the same time, and as soon as they met, they became ɪɴsᴇᴘᴀʀᴀʙʟᴇ. When someone saw Lucy’s picture online and came to adopt her, the two dogs made it very clear that it had to be both of them, or neither of them. Both Lucy and Sully have ꜰᴀɪʀʟʏ ᴜɴᴋɴᴏᴡɴ backstories. Lucy came to the sʜᴇʟᴛᴇʀ as a stray, and Sully was adopted once and then returned to the sʜᴇʟᴛᴇʀ. Something about each dog drew them to each other, though, and Lucy became like a mother to Sully. He was just a puppy when he arrived at the sʜᴇʟᴛᴇʀ, and Lucy was a few years older.
When Alaina Brinton found out about Lucy, she knew she’d be the perfect fit. Brinton said:” I saw a picture of Lucy at my local humane society and just had to meet her. When I called, they said that she’d been fostered with another dog and they’d like for me to also meet her buddy. I figured there wouldn’t be any ʜᴀʀᴍin seeing both.” Brinton hadn’t been planning on adopting two dogs, but when she saw how ɪɴsᴇᴘᴀʀᴀʙʟᴇ the pair was, she knew if she wanted one, she would have to take the other, too. Luckily, she immediately fell in love with both dogs, so the decision to adopt them both wasn’t difficult at all. She said:” I fell in love right away. Besides, it was obvious Sully was looking to Lucy to show him what things were or weren’t okay, and I wouldn’t have had the heart to split them up.”
As soon as the dogs arrived in their new home, Brinton realized just how crucial each dog was to the other. Both Sully and Lucy were ɴᴇʀᴠᴏᴜs about being in their new home, but in different ways, and they each were able to show the other that what they were ɴᴇʀᴠᴏᴜs about wasn’t actually so sᴄᴀʀʏ. Brinton said:” The same way they feed off of each other’s excitement, they also fed off of each other’s growing comfort. They settled in together, and figured out the new routine like a team. It was perfect, and I think it was a much easier transition for each of them because of the company of the other.” Now, seven years later, Lucy and Sully are still best friends, and do just about everything together. They nap together, play together and lounge about the house and yard together. Wherever one is, you can be sure the other is never very far away.
Brinton said:” They’re buddies forever. Anytime they’re settling in together, Lucy will give Sully a couple of licks on his forehead and he just looks like he’s so pleased.” Because Sully is bigger and a little younger than Lucy, he’s much more active than she is, and needs more time to run around and explore the world. But even when Sully is off running around, he always makes sure that Lucy is ok and still there waiting for him. Brinton said: “Even when he’s roaming around the dog park, Sully will come back and check on Lucy every couple of minutes or so. He says hi, walks with her for a bit, and then he’s off again. She doesn’t seem to mind.”
Lucy and Sully brought each other comfort in the sʜᴇʟᴛᴇʀ all those years ago, and helped each other through tough times. Today, they’re still as close as ever, and navigate life side by side.
