There’s no question in my mind that many of us have forged lasting friendships while traveling. Meeting new people in a foreign country often leads to lasting friendships, lending an air of mystery to these interactions. But what if I told you it wasn’t limited to human beings? Recently, Stanley and his owner took a trip to Cornwall, where the dog met and became fast friends with a seal pup called Aayla at the local seal refuge. They then struck a stance. “Aww!” was the unanimous response.
Stanley the dachshund and his owner Melanie Talbot were on holiday in Cornwall, England. Stanley is also known as a sausage dog or wiener dog. During their time away, they visited the Sea Life Trust Cornish Seal Sanctuary, and Bored Panda was able to arrange an interview with them. As soon as Stanley reached the underwater viewing areas, he was captivated by a big seal pup named Aayla, a permanent resident of the seal sanctuary. Aayla and his new companion were both filled with joy as soon as their eyes met across the glass of the tank.
Aayla, a dachshund who is 2 years old, apparently leaped into the water through the window and kept swimming around. For about 20 minutes, the two talked and posed for photographs. Even though Aayla seemed to take a special liking to Stanley, she has actually befriended canines before. Visitors frequently send us pictures of Aayla playing with their pets.
Aayla may have mistaken Stanley for another seal since he was dressed for the cold with his ears tucked into a snoot. She began mimicking the dog’s behavior, including cocking her head to the side and waving at the animal. In response, Georgina Shannon stated, “You can see from the photos she was really interested in him and spent a long time looking at him through the glass.”
As the dachshund’s owner, Talbot, put it, “It seemed like we were pals at first sight.” They were making coy gestures with their noses against the glass as if they were conversing. Aayla’s head tilt made her look more like a dog than a seal as they posed for the camera. According to the owner, dachshunds are often seen sleeping with their legs curled up, making them look like seals. It’s understandable that these two would hit it off immediately. In the end, they’re both just pups.
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The Sea Life Trust Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Gweek, Cornwall is a non-profit organization that helps sick, injured, or displaced seals and other marine animals. When the animals are better, they are released back into the wild if possible, but if not, they are given a permanent home at the sanctuary. Aayla is one of the many animals who have been rescued and adopted from this location.
