 Man comes to adopt Pitbull at Shelter, but she refused to let go of her best friend. They say a dog is a man's best friend, and that is why at Rocket Dog Rescue, they do everything they can to get the poor pups back to a loving home. However, this unique situation was something they had never come across before. Rocket Dog Rescue are dedicated to saving homeless and abandoned dogs from overcrowded animal shelters, in hopes of ensuring that each of them have loving homes, and they don't end up being put down in a shelter. The shelter took in dogs who had been abandoned, and Meryl, a three-year-old Pitbull, and Taco, an eight-year-old Chihuahua, formed a bond of great strength when they were taken in. You see, these two had terrible traumas from their past owners. Each had different bad experiences that had left them with scars. Taco was found abandoned in a garbage can by a passerby, who then handed him in. He was found as a baby starving and skinny, with ratty hair and looking extremely worse for wear. He is very frightened of humans and the other dogs. He also had to have an operation on his legs as soon as he was rescued. They hoped he would recover and find a new home. Meryl was sadly abused by her previous owners. She too was shaking and extremely nervous when she arrived at the shelter. It was difficult to get her to eat or drink, and she had cuts and bruises that needed attending too. She was frightened of the other dogs and was too scared to play, until one day. As each day passed, no new protective owners came to claim the sweet dogs. It looked as though they had met their fate and would be at the shelter for the foreseeable future. The volunteers had a hard time as these two dogs in particular struggled to be around other dogs and were very frightened of humans. They would howl all night and it was becoming a worrisome situation. The volunteer on duty that night decided to let the two stay together in the hopes that they would comfort each other. When he went to check on the two pups the next day, he was totally surprised at what he found. They were snuggled together as if they had been best friends from the very start. Yet something tragic would threaten this new friendship, and it was just around the corner. The pair became inseparable and would only sleep in the same basket together. They only wanted to be walked together side by side and wanted to get fed at the same time too. It was as if they were each other's saving grace, after the ordeals that they had both been through. However, it was not over just yet. One morning the howling sounds returned, so the volunteer rushed to Merrill's basket where they saw the pooch lying in agony and whimpering. They had to act suddenly, as it did not look promising. Taco looked on and whimpered at seeing his new friend in so much pain. When Merrill required a life or death surgery, the strength of their friendship grew in that moment. Taco did not leave Merrill's side for the entire surgery, being a loyal friend during a difficult time. If anyone even tried to separate them, they would begin crying until they could be back together again. The surgery went well, but it was a really touchy period, and it was truly make it or break it for Merrill. The Taco laid with her every minute and licked her paws and watched over her while she slept. It was truly heartbreaking to watch. The vet said that these next few days after the surgery were critical. Would she make it? Veterinarians determined that Merrill was about three years old and had been bred at least once. She was likely surrendered to RDR because of the costly, life-threatening uterine infection, and possibly for the fact that she could no longer be used for breeding. Little Taco was an even greater mystery, determined to be about eight years old at the time of his surrender. He was known to suffer from asthma and dental disease. He only has about four teeth, leaving his little tongue to flap out. After she healed well, it was time to try and find the new friends at home, but what they would do about splitting them up? They no longer spent a second apart. Their friendship would be put to the test once again when a potential owner came in to have a look at Merrill. Having fallen in love with Merrill, the loyalty was proven as the puppy refused to leave Taco's side. The new owner still came to pick up Merrill, but the two would not stop crying, and something had to be done. During their stay together, Merrill and Taco had an unbreakable friendship, and it wouldn't be so easy to separate them. Despite their obvious size difference and the fact that Taco is a senior male while Merrill is a young adult female, these two have a bond like nothing the folks at RDR had ever seen before. It was decided that although bonded pairs are more difficult to adopt out, these two simply had to stay together. The volunteers grew worried. Would prospective owners want to take the two together? Wouldn't this make it harder for them to find a loving home? They were desperate for them to find a family who loved them, but they were not sure if it would be possible for them to leave together. To the fortune of these two loyal friends, the rescuer understood the situation and made an act of kindness. Both dogs would be taken home together that day and would have their wish granted to not have to be apart ever again. The duo was fostered by a wonderful volunteer named Jody, and then adopted by a loving family in San Jose. Today, Merrill and Taco live happily together in their new owner's home, with the loving family that they both deserve. The best friends can now live easy with the comfort of knowing that they can be by each other's side for the rest of their lives now. This wonderful story about two dogs and their unbreakable bond is a true example of the loyalty that a dog has. The heart wants what the heart wants, and for these two dogs, they can now live peacefully as one. After about a month with his new family, they decided to have Taco evaluated. The news was not good. Taco's vet suspected that he was in heart failure. His heart was enlarged and there was fluid surrounding his lungs. The family feared the worst, but hoped for the best as Taco was put on different medications and scheduled to see a specialist. Miraculously, Taco's condition improved immensely with treatment. He still has respiratory issues, but his heart is no longer a problem. Taco takes steroids to help with the condition in his lungs and requires anti-seizure meds, but he doesn't let his medical problems keep him from living life to the fullest. He may only be about a fourth the size of Merrill, but he manages to keep up with her antics, in his own special way, of course. Taco loves to be carried by his children. While Merrill romps through the grass, Taco joins in by hitching a ride with one of his child's siblings. As long as these two BFFs are together, they are happy. If ever they are separated, they cry for one another until they are reunited. Having a lovely family to depend on has not weakened this on couple's incredible bond. It has simply allowed them to open their hearts even wider to include their human rescuers. Last Christmas, Taco started to get sick again, but when Merrill realized, she stayed snuggled up to her best friend to keep her warm by the fire, and when Taco went to the vet, they couldn't believe that she was all better. Occasionally, when dog parents bring a new pup, or two, into their home, they find that they get more than they bargained for. The phrase has negative connotations, but for one family, their newest additions did more than just change their lives. They transformed each other's.