When Ed Gernon saw Rex at his local shelter, he knew the pup was the right dog for him. The shelter warned Gernon that Rex was considered dangerous and almost feral. He had lived most of his life on the streets, and he’d had to learn how to hunt to survive. He also fought with other animals.
Ed decided to take a chance on Rex, and he officially adopted the dog and brought him home.
Ed and Rex quickly bonded—the dog loved his new dad. The two enjoyed playing Frisbee together, and they also loved going for long walks together through Gernon’s hometown of Whittier, California.
One day, Rex stopped in the middle of one of these walks in front of a bush. He refused to move, and so Gernon went to see what he was looking at. He found a tiny hummingbird lying on the ground.
At first, Gernon thought the hummingbird was dead—she was covered in ants and not moving. But then he noticed her faint breathing, and he realized that he could still save her. He brought her home and started nursing her back to health.
Gernon was amazed by Rex’s reaction to the hummingbird, who he named Hummer. The formerly feral dog refused to leave Hummer’s side.
“It was this little creature. This fragile creature that the whole world wanted to kill and [Rex] was trying to protect her so I thought I’d go the distance,” Gernon told CBS News.
During Hummer’s first few days in Gernon’s house, Gernon fed her a sugar mixture every fifteen minutes from sunrise to sundown. He also taught her to fly using a hairdryer. Slowly but surely, the hummingbird began to get her strength back. Gernon was amazed to see her flitting around his house.
“It’s crazy. You live with Tinkerbell. It’s like that’s what this is like,” he said.
Hummer began spending most of her time with Rex. She loved going for swims in his water bowl, and Rex didn’t mind. He was happy that his best friend was enjoying herself.
Gernon shot a few videos of Hummer and Rex playing together. One of these adorable videos shows Hummer’s bathing ritual.
Another sweet video shows Hummer cuddling with Gernon. His glasses make the perfect perch!
Gernon knows that Hummer will eventually need to go back to the wild to mate and start a family of her own. He has started leaving the doors and window open for her, but so far, she has stayed inside with her best friend and her dad. Gernon knows the day Hummer leaves will be tough, but he’s so glad she brought so much joy to his and Rex’s lives.
“I rescue this dog. He rescues the bird. The bird rescues all of us in a weird sense and it’s just a miracle,” Gernon said.
Gernon, Rex, and Hummer are an inseparable trio who love each other more than anything. If you want to learn more about Hummer and Rex, check out the video below.
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