When his parents adopted Mac the dog from Love At First Sight in Nashville, Tennessee, they knew that they immediately had added a very special soul to their family.
Adoptive mother, Brittany Gillott, tells The Dodo that from the first day they met, Mac "was really calm and quiet." "He's a really lovable dog "” everybody who meets him falls in love with him. He's gentle and kind, and he loves other dogs," she said.
But Mac's sweet side had depths to it that even they couldn't have anticipated.
One day, Mac's parents brought home a brown box and tentatively opened it for their big softie to sniff. Although they knew that Mac was sweet and gentle with other dogs, but they weren't so sure how he'd react to baby chickens.
The little chickens were so small and vulnerable, that his parents decided to keep them in another room of the house - out of Mac's reach.
But Mac had other ideas and one day he nudged his way into the room...
Since he was determined to meet them, Gillott and her husband carefully monitored Mac's interaction with the new babies.
He was so enthralled by their presence, he would lay down and patiently watch the little chicks through the clear plastic bin enclosure.
It didn't take long for Mac to fall in love with the chicks. He became obsessed and soon insisted on visiting them every morning before breakfast.
"But even before he ate, he wanted to go see the chicks. It was really cute. He was constantly watching them to make sure they were OK," said Gillott.
Pretty soon, Mac and the chicks had a special morning routine complete with chickie cuddles!
"He never once pawed at them or bit at them or anything like that," she added. "We don't worry about them at all."
Now the chicks are older and they live in the garage, but have free access to the yard and herb garden outside. Like a protective mama, Mac looks after his young chickens with love and affection.
"We love [Mac] so much, and we're so affectionate with him, constantly petting him and cuddling him," Gillott told The Dodo. "So I think he's passed that affection down to the chicks. It was great that he connected to them so quickly."
[h/t The Dodo]