Potate, Tate for short, was living on the streets. The stray puppy longed for a family of her own. She finally found one and then she found her very best friend just on the other side of their fence.
Hailee Graham and her husband brought Tate home. Their neighbor also adopted a dog around the same time, around the same age as Tate. His name is Vernon. Even with the tall fence between property lines, the two dogs were very aware of one another.
They were out of reach but it didn’t matter, something in their doggy hearts told them they were meant to be friends. Tate and Vernon began working to get closer to one another in any way they could.
“I walk outside and catch them digging a tunnel to each other. We couldn’t get them to stop,” Graham told The Dodo. “We couldn’t keep them apart. They would just keep digging holes in each other.”
Graham thought a regular playdate was a great idea so Tate and Vernon could spend time having fun together without the fence coming between them. But the playdates weren’t enough; they still longed to be together all the time.
Then Graham had a genius idea to overcome their separation entirely…
“I thought, ‘Why not just put a door in the fence, so they can play whenever, and their hoomans don’t have to get involved?’” Graham said.
So that’s exactly what Tate and Vernon’s owners did.
Graham’s husband and Tate’s grandpa got to work right away. The family constructed a door in the fence that would allow the two dogs to hang out anytime they wanted to.
Tate was obviously excited.
Now the doggy soulmates are living a dream life. Together.
“They love being together!” Graham said. “I don’t know if they are actually in love, but I like to think so.”
While this setup may not work for everyone, it’s PERFECT for Tate and Vernon. “I hope that it encourages people to be more friendly with their neighbors, and encourage a sense of community,” Graham said. “It has worked out well for us so far.”
Photos and video courtesy of Hailee Graham via The Dodo
