2-year-old HSSV alum Biko almost never stops moving. She’s a wild child who prefers to spend her time running, fetching, and romping with other dogs.
HSSV’s graphic designer, Michelle, adopted Biko in 2018 (you can see some of Michelle’s amazing work on our mobile spay/neuter clinic and rescue vans). “If I had to describe Biko, I’d say she’s the kid in class who finishes their homework early – but only because she wants to go to recess,” Michelle says. “She’s the little sister who demands that everyone play and be friends with her OR ELSE SHE’S TELLING HER MOM. She’s the girl who gets detention for playing Dodgeball too rough. The world’s most annoying sister with the energy level of a permanent sugar rush. She’s hilarious and amazing.”
A few weeks ago, Michelle decided to bring home a group of baby chicks. She had raised chickens all her life, and now wanted to jump back into it. But she knew that with Biko, it would need to be a slow and careful introduction to make sure she could peacefully exist with her new feathered friends.
From the moment Biko first heard the chicks’ tiny peeps, Michelle knew she was infatuated. She stayed close to the bin they were held in and became concerned if they were overly noisy. When Michelle allowed her to meet the chicks face to face (closely supervised, of course), Biko was incredibly gentle.
She began her daily “chick watch”, spending hours near the chick’s temporary home keeping watch over them. A few times a day, Michelle would let the chicks out one by one to stretch their legs and hang out with their new favorite dog. It was clear that they were drawn to her just as much as she was to them. She doted on them, constantly giving them small licks and laying near them to allow them to snuggle up to her.
“I never thought of Biko as a maternal dog,” says Michelle. “She’s always been the wild child. But this experience is showing me a whole new side of her personality. It’s like she really thinks of them as her babies.”
As the chicks have gotten older and more mobile, Biko’s affection with them has stuck around. She’s still supervised closely when they spend time together, but nothing has changed in her feelings for them. It seems to be the start of a beautiful friendship. And boy are we glad we get to watch it blossom.