Elderly Golden Retriever, Baby Chicks Take Interspecies' Cooperation to Whole New Level

When 21-year-old photographer Candice Sedighan saw that a local feed store was going out of business and getting rid of its stock, she jumped into action. Why? Because included in the closeout were a dozen tiny chicks that would have likely been sold and raised for meat.

While only planning to keep them until a safe and suitable habitat could be found, Sedighan still had a potential obstacle at home: her 11-year-old golden retriever, Champ.

Yet when she introduced the babes to Champ, he responded with nothing but patience and kindness. Even though he had been a perky puppy and had never seen chicks before, he expertly took them under his wing, so to speak.

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"The wisdom and calm nature of senior dogs are unmatched," Sedighan told Today.com.

Although most chicks raised for meat and eggs don't experience the nurturing nature of their mothers, they nonetheless crave affection. Champ's dozen took to cuddling and snuggling with the old guy as if he were the mom they never had.

"The chicks loved to burrow under Champ's fur. It kept them warm just as their mother's feathers would. I love to joke around and say that Champ has "adopted" these chicks since he has seemed to take on this motherly duty," Sedighan said.

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Sedighan found a new home for chicks where they will now live out their chicken lives without the destiny of a dinner plate. We have to think that Champ and the chicks were both somehow enriched by the experience. We know we were.

See photos on Sedighan's Facebook page, and even more cuteness in this video.

Also see: Give chocolate, not chicks, for Easter