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Alberta Blind Dog And Cat Companion Up For Adoption

Max the cat has helped Spike the dog get around. Now, the pair are looking for a new home.
Spike and Max, a bonded cat and dog at a shelter in Alberta.
Saving Grace Animal Society
Spike and Max, a bonded cat and dog at a shelter in Alberta.

Friends can help you through the toughest times in life.

For Spike, a dog in central Alberta, that lifelong friend and companion is his best buddy Max the cat.

Spike and Max aren’t just any dynamic duo. Spike is blind due to severe cataracts in his eyes, and Max provides support to him and helps him get around. The pair have been together for eight years but were recently surrendered to the Saving Grace Animal Society in Alix, Alta. and will be put up for adoption in two weeks.

WATCH: Blind veteran adopts blind dog. Story continues below.

Saving Grace development director Amanda McClughan told HuffPost Canada the two are inseparable.

“[Max] is definitely [Spike’s] companion, and like his support animal,” she said. “You can tell that Spike is always using his nose to kind of follow Max, and just kind of know that he’s around him.”

The dynamic duo had been living outdoors, but were surrendered to the shelter during a recent cold snap by their owners, who thought they’d be more comfortable retiring indoors.

McClughan stressed that people ensure outdoor pets have adequate food and shelter, particularly during the colder months.

“There’s a lot of animals living outside and I would just encourage the public to make sure that their animals and any animals that they come across you have adequate shelter, whether that be heat or straw and lots of access to foods to keep them nice and warm,” she said.

The road ahead

Spike had surgery this week to remove his eyes and is currently recovering. The pair will be available for adoption through Saving Grace in about two weeks, once he’s fully recovered. And the cat and dog are definitely a package deal.

“We will only let them go to a home together, just with everything they’ve been through so far,” she said. “We would never want to split them up and add to that stress.”

McClughan said anyone interested in adopting Max and Spike must come into the shelter and submit an in-person application. The shelter likes to meet prospective new families to ensure they’re going to the best possible home.

She also encouraged people to consider adopting senior pets like Max and Spike in communities everywhere. While many people worry about medical risks or the limited time that comes with adopting a senior pet, she says it can be incredibly rewarding.

“Senior pets are just so thankful to, you know, have a home to call their own and have a home to love them. And spoiling, a senior pet just makes your heart feel really great,” she said.

“Yeah you may lose them sooner than a puppy. But you are giving them the best life possible in the last few years that they have left and it is truly the most rewarding thing that you can do for them.”

Here’s hoping Spike and Max can enjoy a nice long indoor retirement together.

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