Lundy, a two-month-old Chihuahua, was taken in by the Mia Foundation in New York last month with damage to his spinal cord.
And he was given a warm welcome by Herman the pigeon who is a long-standing resident.
Sue Rogers, the centre’s founder, said the pair are now inseparable and love to snuggle up together on their favourite fluffy blanket.
Sue said: ‘I set Herman on a dog bed and started caring for Lundy, and I decided to carefully put Lundy in the same dog bed next to him.
‘They started interacting immediately in a very cute way.’
Lundy was brought into the rescue centre by a North Carolina breeder who noticed the puppy was struggling to walk.
Sue said she now wonders whether Herman is actually a female pigeon because of the way she mothers the puppy.
Whilst Herman is a permanent resident at The Mia Foundation, Sue’s goal is to fix Lundy’s mobility issue with the help of a wheelchair and find an adoptive family for him.
Sue said: ‘Lundy weighs only one pound now, so we will have to wait for the chair.’
This is a typical case for Sue, who has dedicated her time to helping pets born with birth defects, many of whom would have been euthanized without her intervention.
Sue said: ‘Our main goal is to take in animals born with birth defects.
‘But people also bring us injured birds and squirrels sometimes.’
