There are certain friendships that are so unique and precious that nothing can ever stand in their way. This was the type of relationship that existed between a Chihuahua called Tiny Tim and his Great Pyrenees brother, Big Ben. When Tim became a foster child with Ben’s family in 2016, the two were introduced to one another and immediately struck it off.
Jenny Leech, the mother of Tim and Ben, related the following story to The Dodo: “Several times a day, I’d come out into the living room and discover Tim deep asleep on top of Ben.”
Tiny Tim was exactly the same size as his name implied, and Big Ben was a towering presence above him. The pair of closest friends were a physical contrast to one another. Yet, the difference in their sizes had no impact on the outcome. Tim and Ben could easily pass the day together, and for a lovely span of six years, that’s exactly what they did.
“In the early years, when Ben was a bit more agile, he would go lay on the sofa, and Tim would lie right on top of him,” Leech recalled. “Ben would go lay on the couch.”
The dynamic couple remained inseparable even when they weren’t snoozing peacefully on the sofa next to one other while watching television.
At the dinner table, Tim was aware that he could elevate himself above Ben in order to reach our level and beg, as Leech said. They had a lot of fun going to the pool together. Ben was without a doubt his rock in times of need.
Leech believed that Tim and Ben might make other people happy by the way they interacted with one another, which brought a grin to Leech’s face. Hence, she gave Tim and Ben their very own social media profiles, on which she chronicled their lives together in order to share it with the world. The two individuals quickly gained the attention of tens of thousands of people from all over the globe.
“From that point on, it sort of developed… the whole history of their connection, including all of the times they went on spontaneous outings together, Leech said.
When Tim joined the family, Ben was already 7 years old, and over the course of time, the gentle giant started having trouble with his mobility. Tim was able to sense that Ben wasn’t feeling well, so he began to give his brother some space, but he wouldn’t let himself go too far away from him.
Leech said that he believed that Tim had seen some difference in him. Tim was more subdued than normal, and rather than engaging in his customary antics of climbing up on Ben, he was satisfied dozing or sitting next to him instead.
Ben had a stroke on the 24th of December in the year 2022. Ben’s condition became much more critical the next morning, and sadly, there was nothing further that could be done to assist him. Ben made his way across the rainbow bridge in a calm and collected manner when he was 13 and a half years old, with his loved ones at his side.
Leech said that all of his daughters, who had all grown up along with him, were there for the event. “Tim was present at that time.”
Once Leech announced Ben’s loss on his and Tim’s respective social media profiles, Tim’s fans experienced an immediate outpouring of condolences and support. One of the little guy’s followers, a lady from Ohio called Beth, made the decision to give him a present.
Leech said, “She sent him this enormous plush dog,” and he laughed. “Tim immediately laid claim to it the moment I placed it on the sofa,” you may say.
Tim immediately replicated an old behavior he had with Ben by climbing onto the back of the plush dog only a few seconds after Leech had put it on the sofa. This surprised Leech. He nestled himself into the velvety folds of the dog’s fur, and as soon as he did, he fell asleep.
After Leech made the decision to keep the plush dog on the sofa, he ultimately began to be confronted with a familiar sight on a daily basis.
“It truly seemed like we had gone back in time to when we would walk out into the living room, and there would be Tim on top of Ben on the sofa,” Leech recalled. “It was just like the good old days.” “Even down to a specific crick, it was practically the exact same configuration as how Tim used to lay on Ben,” the author writes.
The sight of Tim snuggling up on top of the dog in the same manner that he would do with Ben moved Leech deeply. She was able to see that Tim was missing his closest companion, but it was obvious that the toy dog was assisting him in his grieving process.
The words of Leech ring true: “He’s certainly finding some type of comfort from it.”
Leech is aware that Tim isn’t in any pain despite the fact that it is emotionally distressing to watch Tim curled up on the stuffed dog. The youngster is carrying on just well and, in fact, doing far better than she had imagined he would.
Leech said that everyone, including himself, was taken aback by how well he was performing. I believe that in the midst of our own anguish towards Ben, it is becoming more difficult for us to look at him.
When Leech discovers Tim dozing off on the plush dog’s back, she imagines that he is reminiscing about the good old days when he was hanging out with his closest buddy, Ben. The stuffed dog has taken up permanent residence on Leech’s sofa. Even if they are no longer connected in the same way that they once were, their bond will endure for all of eternity.
Leech was quoted as saying, “There’s something sort of wonderful about that.” “They really had something that set them apart.”