Simon, a border collie recovering from his injuries, came towards Sammie, a 4-month-old boxer mix, and carefully rested his paw on Sammie’s. Even though both of the dog’s rescues were weeks apart, it looked as if Simon knew exactly what Sammie was going through after a surgical procedure at Rescue Dogs Rock NYC.

“They met at the vet, and Simon immediately formed this beautiful animal friendship with Sammie,” Jackie O’Sullivan, co-founder of Rescue Dogs Rock NYC, told Bored Panda. “He is protective of him.” Sammie has been through hell. The poor pooch was not only spray-painted; he was shot in the head and dragged by a car. Simon is checking on his little best friend all the time. Though Simon will recover and be available for dog adoption soon, Sammie still has a long way to go.

“We are not sure yet [if Sammie will be able to recover fully] because he just had surgery,” explained O’Sullivan. “The vet needs two weeks to see if his leg can be saved. Infection is the biggest worry. He is at risk of losing 1 or 2 legs, but we are doing everything to save them.”

This is a beautiful picture of the friendship and love of animals together. We should learn and cherish the dogs beside us every day.