The bond between dogs and their owners if well documented and lauded, but this story of a dedicated Setter who stood by her Basset Hound friend in a time of need has us celebrating love between dogs.

Tillie and Phoebe were out for a routine walk in Vashon, Washington, but neither dog made it home, causing concern with their owner. This prompted him to contact Vashon Island Pet Protectors, whose volunteer Amy Carey helped him search the local area for the missing canine couple to no avail. In an effort to speed up their search, the Pet Protectors put up this post reaching out to the community.

While this outreach would come in handy, they were unaware that Phoebe that was trapped in an isolated cistern miles away and was in too deep to climb out by herself.

Truly a sad situation, but it turns out Tillie was gone for a different reason. In an interview with The Dodo, Carey recalls what she saw after following up on a tip from a farmer who was approached by a reddish dog to follow her:

"When I got there and looked down, Tillie saw me but didn't come running up, she just stayed near the edge of this cistern, pressed with her head as close as she could get. Had she run up, we might have never realized that Phoebe was down there. She just stayed put, making it so clear that I had to come to her so I would see her friend."

Tillie could have perhaps returned home, but her refusal to leave her friend Phoebe behind, even after a week, turned out to be the key in saving the both of them. It's funny sometimes how our pets show us a pure and loyal understanding of friendship, that sometimes we lose as humans in complications and unpleasantness.

And now it seems that both dogs are safe and sound, and happy to be in the care of their owner after a touching reunion according to Carey.

"Once they got out, they were happy as clams. Tillie was so relieved. When the owner came to get them, they heard his voice in the distance, you could just see their relief. They just started wiggling."

It's utterly heartwarming to see such a strong bond, and to imagine a dog who valued her friend's safety above any risk or hardship. True friendship seems to shine brightest in the hardest of times, and these two dogs have done more than pass that test. While we imagine their owner is going to be reluctant to let them out of their sight, knowing how close these two are tells us that they'll somehow be all right.