Best friends Chip and Adele started out life surrounded by uncertainty but have gained the devoted care of shelter volunteers, a huge fan following and most importantly, each other.
Chip, a seven-week-old Chihuahua mix, arrived at Operation Kindness in Dallas after his owners decided they couldn’t care for a puppy so young. Adele, a five-week old kitten, was found alone on the streets of Dallas and brought to the non-profit, no-kill shelter in Carrollton, Texas. The two were brought to the shelter and have been together ever since.
Natalie Buxton, Operation Kindness’ development coordinator, is fostering Chip and Adele in her home. Shelter staff decided to foster them together because they’re the same size and around the same age. Chip and Adele are in foster care because they’re too young and vulnerable to stay at the shelter, she explains. Operation Kindness houses 300 cats and dogs at its facility, with another 150 cats and dogs in its network of foster homes, says Buxton.
The puppy and kitten immediately bonded. “They knew they were alone in the world and that they needed a friend,” Buxton notes.
Chip and Adele do everything together—eating, sleeping, playing, and snuggling.
Buxton says they’re both very friendly and sociable, and get along well with her own dog and cat.
Chip and Adele’s adorable antics are chronicled on their own Facebook page, where they have nearly 45,000 followers and on Youtube.
‘Hundreds’ of Emails
It comes as no surprise that people are clamoring to adopt Chip and Adele. Operation Kindness has several stipulations, says Buxton. The first is that the two be adopted together. Secondly, they must be old enough to be vaccinated, and spayed and neutered. Third, the lucky adopters must be local so shelter staff can meet with them and approve the living situation, per shelter policy, explains Buxton.
Unfortunately, that last stipulation rules out potential adopters from around the country and the world, including England and Spain, who’ve contacted Operation Kindness about Chip and Adele, she says. The shelter has received “hundreds of emails and messages on our Facebook page,” Buxton notes.
Chip and Adele will remain in Buxton care until they’re old enough to be available for adoption, at least through the end of April, she says, adding “They still have a lot of growing up to do.”
Photos via Facebook
Samantha Drake is a freelance writer & editor in the Philadelphia area who writes about pets, business & general interest topics.
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