These Florida cops went nose to nose. See what happened when they met for the 1st time
There’s always a chance you won’t get along with your new coworker.
No need to worry in this case.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office posted a sweet picture on Facebook of a bloodhound and a horse from the law enforcement agency.
The horse is leaning down from a mobile stable and the dog is leaping up on a leash on the ground.
The two noses touch.
“This bloodhound had its first-ever encounter with a horse. He wasn’t shy at all!” says the caption. “They met each other and decided they could work just fine together.”
The horse is named Prosecutor Pete and the dog, Roscoe, a sheriff’s office spokesperson told the Miami Herald. Both animals work in the Special Operations Division.
Sunday’s post, that included the hashtag #Partners, received hundreds of likes. Commenters just couldn’t get enough.
“Curiosity about another living thing, learning to get along. This is a great picture!”
“Twin brother from another mother.”
“Beautiful! If only people could learn from animals.”
“So cute.”
Though the sight of a horse and a dog nuzzling may look unusual, according to National Geographic, these two different species are actually known to get along.
Scientists found in a 2020 study that the two animals play together in a similar manner, “with open mouths and synchronously matched behaviors.”
Horses and dogs also mirror the expression on the other’s face, a behavior called rapid facial mimicry.
“It’s a wonderful study, and takes the questions surrounding play behavior to a new level,” says Sue McDonnell, an animal behaviorist at the University of Pennsylvania. “In particular, they’ve beautifully demonstrated play between two species where it’s unexpected.”
The bloodhound’s trainer, OCSO K-9 Master Deputy Allan Darcey, says in the comments that the dog was on a lead and the horse was in the trailer contained: “He is fascinated by horses so I was letting him meet and by proxy, getting him used to the exposure of other animals.”
READ MORE: See a mama panther reunite with her lost kitten in Florida
This story was originally published May 25, 2022 at 3:28 PM.
