Friendship is truly a curious thing – it knows no bounds. For this story, in fact, it happened to two creatures of different species. Both animals live in Chicago along with other pets, and for some reason they have formed bonds with each other.
Osiris is a 3-year old Dutch shepherd, found by his owner Mickey Alice Kwapis in a parking lot. Kwapis provided foster care at first, but the puppy eventually won her heart. She ended up adopting him and giving him his forever home.
She named him after Osiris, the Egyptian god of the dead, the underworld and the living. Whew, what a tall order for a namesake! There’s nothing complicated about Osiris, the gentlest of dogs, though. As a foster dog, Osiris has a high-impact role in helping provide shelter for animals pulled out from the list of those about to be euthanized at shelters.
He has had special training on how to care for small and, well, very tiny creatures.
Riff Ratt is a fancy rat around 1 year old. She sneaked into Kwapis’s sleeve one day, and from then on, she became part of a home that had different animals for pets and foster pets. Riff and another rat, Milhouse, form a team with Osiris.
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Milhouse is 8 months old and, while Osiris and Riff are undeniably BFFs, there’s no tension when Milhouse joins them. They’re in fact a very happy inseparable trio. Three’s definitely not a crowd for these sociable fellows.
Osiris and Riff caught the attention of YouTube and Instagram followers worldwide. Who can resist their candid and heartwarming photos and videos? They’re so unbelievably cute. These pals are the personification of friendship, no matter what. Photos show Riff sleeping on Osiris’s belly, Milhouse seemingly doing a dental checkup on Osiris’s oral cavity and half of Riff’s body inside of Osiris’s mouth.
The photos just keep you scrolling and searching for more pics wondering what happened next, and didn’t he chew her head off after that one picture? But, no, because you’ll see their post the following day where they were snuggled together again. Then you sit back and smile – they’re just the sweetest of friends, that’s all.
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I think this story teaches us of tolerance and coexistence amidst diversity. Talking of diversity, Osiris and Riff also live with a cat named Maria, a few kittens, other animals that they’re pet-sitting and humans, of course. Since they’ve become quite a sensation, these animal friends earn enough to foster abandoned animals (Maria, for instance), donate to animal rescue facilities, and especially to save pregnant animals on death row. What a meaningful way to live!
In her posts, Kwapis consistently cautions viewers who might get too excited and try the tricks on their own pets at home. They can’t be too adventurous with their dogs and must remember that what worked for Osiris and the rest of the gang is special. Osiris is a highly-trained dog, and what’s being shown on photos and videos may actually be dangerous for other animals.
Behind these endearing images that may at first look like a trendy and fashionable way to get attention, is a call for awareness. It tells us to be more responsible over animals and pets. Animals need food, shelter, exercise, play time, vet visits and your attention. Adoption or fostering pets is the best way to give back to animals in need.
