Kara Swindle, the owner of S&K Quarter House, witnessed something amazing come out of a tough situation. She saw her rescue dog adopt one of her recently orphaned foals.
Orphaned at just 9 days old, Tye the foal had a tough break at the start of his life. But Kara’s dog Zip stepped up and adopted Tye, taking on the role of the foal’s father.
“Zip has never shown interest in other horses or their foals. We raise foals every year, and he would kind of look in the door and just look at them," Karla Swindle, Zip’s mom, told The Dodo.
This makes this newfound paternal instinct come as a pleasant surprise for Kara who wasn’t sure how Tye would cope without his mother.
On the night that Tye’s mom passed, Zip knew that something was up and stayed with Tye all night in the alley next to the barn.
The next day onwards, Zip never let Tye out of his sight. He was always the first to reach the barn every morning and the last to leave every night.
Tye is growing up into a strong horse, and everyone believes that Zip played a big role in making it happen. His fatherly presence gave Tye the bond that he needed to grow strong.
