Dogs will often form the most unlikeliest friendships with cats, rabbits and even chickens - but one pooch keeps going out of her way to make friends with turtles. Mya the great Pyrenees has got a newfound love for the tiny reptiles and often 'kidnaps' them to take home.
Her owner Rachel Laposka, 19, filmed Mya's latest capture and uploaded the hilarious video on TikTok, where social media users were smitten with her gentle nature. The six-year-old white dog can be seen carrying a turtle in her mouth and waiting at the back door to be let in with it.
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She is reluctant to release the small animal and lays on the floor with her cheeks full. After much persuasion from Rachel, Mya drops the turtle to the ground and looks at it guiltily.
Student Rachel, from Sharpsburg, Georgia, US, says this isn't the first time the white pooch has kidnapped a turtle and brought it home.
"Mya only recently discovered she can pick up turtles, and she's only done it twice," Rachel explained.
"She's a great Pyrenees, which is a breed that used to be used for things like herding and protecting cattle on a farm.
"Chances are she saw the little turtle and decided she wanted to protect it, it's also likely she saw it and just wanted a friend."
The video captured the hearts of TikTokers and racked up 1.4 million views, with users laughing over her "stubborn nature" and desperation to make friends.
And it seems Mya isn't the only pooch with a fascination for reptiles as lots of dog owners could relate.
"Glad to know my dog isn't the only one that does this. My dog makes us chase after him to save the turtles," one person commented.
"My bulldog does this. She never hurts them, she's just obsessed with having them live inside," another explained.
Though many animal lovers did warn Mya to be careful adopting wildlife, with one saying: "She'll learn her lesson when one of them bites her on the tongue."
Another dog has struck up an unusual friendship with a chipmunk - and won't let anybody else join their gang.
American bulldog Winston loves to play and hang around with Mike the chipmunk, and always feeds him breakfast.
Owner Gary Townsend, from Ontario, Canada, said: "Winston always wants to come out early every morning with me for my coffee and feed the chipmunk so we do this almost every day and constantly throughout the day."
Do you have a funny dog story to sell? Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
