Brenda and Linda were inseparable from the start. Found wandering the streets of Minneapolis side by side, the two pitties were picked up by animal control and brought to safety at Minneapolis Animal Care & Control (MACC).
Staff placed them in neighboring kennels—thinking it would be comforting for the two strays to be close—but the dogs had other plans.
One morning, shelter workers arrived to an unexpected sight: Brenda was no longer in her own kennel. Somehow, she was cozied up right next to Linda.
Confused, the team checked the security footage—and what they saw was nothing short of incredible. Brenda had jumped over the wall of her kennel just to be with her best friend.
“Brenda’s jumping abilities are not common!” said Danielle Joerger, shelter supervisor at MACC. “We are impressed with her spirit and her determination to be by Linda’s side.”
From that moment on, shelter staff made a new arrangement: the two besties would share one large kennel, just like they shared everything else. It was clear they not only needed each other—they thrived together.
“When we saw the video, it was a touching reminder of how deeply animals crave connection and comfort,” Joerger said. “Brenda and Linda give that to each other—and it’s something we see and honor every day in our work.”
You can watch Brenda’s amazing jump here:
As the days passed, the staff got to know the pitties better. Brenda, ever the extrovert, turned out to be a natural at helping in doggy playgroups, making fast friends with just about everyone. Linda, more mellow, was her calm and gentle counterpart. Together, they balanced each other perfectly.
“Brenda loves to play and make new friends,” Joerger said. “Linda’s more of a quiet coexister—content and confident when Brenda is nearby. They just click.”
After shelter staff posted the heartwarming video of Brenda’s kennel-jumping stunt online, it quickly went viral. Thousands of animal lovers were touched by the display of loyalty and love, and many echoed the same sentiment: these two had to stay together forever.
Thankfully, their wait for a happy ending didn’t last long. One adopter, after seeing their story, realized what she really needed wasn’t just one new best friend—but two. Brenda and Linda were adopted together into a loving forever home.
“We are overjoyed that they get to live out their lives side by side,” Joerger said. “They’re truly lifelong soulmates.”
To support more animals like Brenda and Linda, consider donating to Minneapolis Animal Care & Control.
