Krista Hubbard brought home a chick when it was a few days old. After six months, the chick, named Peri, developed an eye infection. Despite treatment, the chicken became blind.
“We made adjustments to help it when it went blind. We put in bowls that make noise, special low perches, a pouf in the living room so it could ‘watch’ TV with us in the evenings,” the woman explained.
A pit bull named Taj immediately sensed that the hen’s behavior had changed after the illness and it needed help. “Taj was three years old when he helped it find its way. He became a guide dog for the hen,” Krista recalls. The dog guided and protected Peri. They snoozed and basked in the sun together.
The hen and the dog had been friends for eight years until Taj died. After losing its four-legged friend, Peri walked around lost.
The Hubbard family decided to take home two puppies, hoping they would make friends with the hen. Peri perked up, happy to have new friends. It became especially attached to Gracie. The pit bull brought Peri toys and sat next to it.
“When Peri is out in the yard doing chicken chores, Gracie lies outside the fence waiting for it (the chicken has a fenced-in area, since we have a pool). When Peri is on its pouffe “watching” TV, Gracie brings it a toy. In the morning when we get up, Gracie runs to its sleeping friend first thing,” Krista said. The friends have become inseparable. Gracie always makes sure Peri is safe.
