Hoshi and Zen – A Fluffy Duo Who Are Friends To The End!
Do you have a great friend? Someone who is there for you in good times and in bad? The story of Hoshi and Zen shows the power of friendship.
Hoshi is an American Eskimo dog. He had his eyes removed due to a disease when he was 11 years old. He is now blind.
Lucky for Hoshi, a few months before his surgery, his owners adopted Zen. She was a small dog from a local rescue shelter who could see just fine!
When Zen started to realize that Hoshi was going blind, she did what a good friend would do. Zen began to lead the way for Hoshi. She became a seeing eye dog to another dog!
Zen now leads Hoshi around in the great outdoors so he doesn’t hurt himself. They are now best friends and spend all of their time together going hiking, swimming and on other adventures.
As Helen Keller once said, “walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.”
Watch the inspiring story of two great friends and then see how you can help animals in need below:
Additional Resources:
- Here’s an article that tells more about Hoshi and Zen and has lots of photos of their adventures together
- Over 7 million animals enter shelters in the USA alone each year! Learn more about homeless dogs and cats from the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) website
- Check out other stories about animals and quotes about friendship from InspireMyKids
- Learn more about Guide Dogs and the great service they provide to people with disabilities
Topics for Discussion:
- What kinds of values does Zen show?
- Have you ever helped a friend in need? How so?
- How has a friend made your life better?
- Do you have a dog? What makes your dog special to you?
Take Action:
- Learn 20 different ways that you can help dogs in need
- Visit the ASPCA website to learn how you can help all kinds of animals!
Teacher Features:
- Here is a link to a Critical Reading Skills worksheet that you can use for elementary school students.
- Here is a link to a Critical Reading Skills worksheet that you can use for middle school students.
