Starting Friendships on the Right Hoof
Bear was clearly not happy being on his own and needed company. Toffee’s owner thought he only had a few weeks left and wanted him to have some happiness and time out of his stall. The hope was that Bear would no longer be on his own and that Toffee could live out his last few weeks in a natural environment. Pertinent to that was the knowledge that Bear had already lost a companion, and the loss of another so soon might not be in his best interests. The plan was to see if they made a connection and assess Toffee’s health with the change of environment, then determine whether it would be the right thing for Bear’s emotional welfare to promote what might be a short friendship. Read article.