When Officer Michelle Smith from Anderson animal control received a call about a dog barking, it didn’t sound anything out of the ordinary. But when she arrived at the scene, she was surprised by what she found. She discovered a small dog nursing an abandoned kitten by the side of a creek.
The cuddly pair were at the bottom of an embankment by a deep ravine. The dog had a collar around its neck but there were no signs of the pair belonging to anyone nearby. They had obviously both been abandoned and the tiny Shih Tzu had adopted the kitten as her own. She was nursing and protecting the baby as they lay there alone.
Michelle brought the adorable pair to the Anderson County P.A.W.S where they would be safe. The dog refused to be separated from her adopted baby and cleaned and nursed her like she was her own. Upon reviewing their health, it became clear that the dog had been caring for the kitten the whole time they were in the ravine.
The 5-year-old Shih Tzu was lactating but there was no evidence of her having any puppies of her own. It appeared that she was experiencing a pseudopregnancy in order to keep the kitten alive. What an amazing little dog!
The shelter named the dog Goldie, and the kitten Kate, after celebrity mother-daughter duo Goldie Hawn and Kate Hudson. After a social media post went viral with over 88,000 shares and 430,000 likes, people from all over the world wanted to adopt the pair. After careful vetting, Joe Harris and his wife were the lucky people chosen to take them in.
The gorgeous mother and daughter have now fully grown and they love their new life in their forever home. They are the center of attention among family and friends and they enjoy wrestling and playing together. Joe says that Kate still nuzzles up to Goldie on a night, craving the love and cuddles that she provided for her down by the ravine where they were found.
Anderson County P.A.W.S still have people calling up to ask if they can adopt the pair. It seems everyone has been touched by their incredible story. But Goldie and Kate are very happy in their new home and have no intentions of going anywhere else ever again. The shelter says that they have as many as 400 animals on any given day at the shelter, so there are plenty more animals that need a loving forever home. Goldie and Kate have done a fine job of encouraging people to adopt and not shop.
