These uplifting stories of dogs and their unlikely mates are living proof of the life-changing power of friendship.

We all know dogs are man’s best friend, but sometimes our pups forge the most unlikely of animal friendships. These are the uplifting stories of inseparable buddies for whom species is no barrier to unconditional love.

Dogs like Wallace the labradoodle, who protects his clutch of rescued battery hens; Tinni and Sniffer, a German shepherd and a wild fox who loved to play together in the Norwegian snow; Benton the Great Pyrenees, who can’t get enough of Boone, a mobility-impaired racoon; and Yiddle the Chihuahua, whose big best mate is Kevin, a llama.

In A Dog’s Best Friend Laura Greaves shows us that while these may be unusual pairings, they are as devoted to each other as any human companions. That’s because these dogs and their unlikely pals are living proof of the life-changing power of friendship.