Unlikely friendship blossoms between handicapped puppy and disabled pigeon at US rescue shelter (VIDEO)

PETALING JAYA, Feb 24 — Herman the pigeon and Lundy the Chihuahua have been melting hearts online after photos of the two cosying up to each other went viral on Facebook.

The two critters first met at the Mia Foundation, a rescue organisation based in Rochester, New York dedicated to helping animals with birth defects and physical deformities to find their forever home, CNN reported.

Herman is unable to fly due to suspected neurological damage while Lundy is unable to use his rear legs.

Mia Foundation’s founder Sue Rogers said that the duo got on like a house on fire shortly after Lundy came into her care in January, close to a year after she had adopted Herman.

The interspecies friendship captivated the Internet after a Valentine’s Day Facebook post of Herman and Lundy in a warm embrace went viral with more than 20,000 reactions and 50,000 shares so far.

Herman was found by rescuers over a year ago who noticed he had been sitting on a pavement in a car dealership parking lot without moving for three whole days.

His rescuers soon discovered that the poor bird was unable to fly and couldn’t be rehabilitated, so Rogers decided to look after him herself.

When little Lundy was sent over to the Mia Foundation by his breeders, Rogers noticed how he and Herman immediately cuddled up to each other and seemed to enjoy each other’s company.

Thanks to their adorable friendship, the Mia Foundation has been inundated with requests to adopt Lundy and other four-legged friends from the non-profit.

Animal lovers also donated more than US$6,000 (RM25,330) to the foundation after the post went viral, an amount that will cover the expensive veterinary surgeries that many of Rogers’ rescue animals require.

While it is likely that Rogers will take care of Herman for the rest of his life, she hopes that Lundy can build up his physical strength and improve his chances of being adopted.

However, social media users have been pleading with Rogers to make Lundy and Herman a twin package for those who want to give the pup a loving home.

“With animals born with defects, there’s a chance we could lose them.

“So we don’t want to make anyone really excited. But now I think we’ve gotten a thousand emails asking, ‘Please, don’t ever separate those two!’” said Rogers.

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