Meet the dog who helps her owners to look after their twin newborn baby girls - and will wake them if they cry

Pet pooch Lucy has been adored by her family since they adopted her in 2016
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

A clever pooch has proved she is the perfect ‘big sister’ to her human siblings by learning how to help her owners look after them.

A super sweet video shows chocolate Labrador and husky mix Lucy helping her owners to clean up and fetch nappies and bottles, as well as tidy up toys.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Dog Lucy even wakes her owners up when the babies cry and goes to collect owner Joshua’s asthma medication while he holds his two baby girls, Lilly and Lennon.

Joshua Rheaume, aged 32, and Kelly O’Brien-Rheaume, age 30, expanded their family by having their twin girls Lilly and Lennon in November, and their pet has quickly taken the role of big sister.

A great gift

The seven-year-old pooch loves Lilly and Lennon now, but she was initially reticent about her new siblings and kept her distance from them for about a week after they arrived.

Joshua, Geoscience coordinator, said: "It took her about a week to grow accustomed. We would sit on the couch with the girls and she would want nothing to do with us. Now she walks over to check on them all the time. When people hold them for the first time, Lucy watches them."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Lucy is also now taking on more chores around the house. She can open doors, and also brings teddies and toys to the twins - and even fetches drinks for her owners. Lucy has been an important part of the couple’s life since they adopted her in August 2016, which happened to be on the same day Joshua lost his job.

Chocolate Labrador and husky mix Lucy helps her owners Joshua Rheaume, aged 32, and Kelly O’Brien-Rheaume, age 30, to take care of their newborn baby girls. Lucy and Kelly are pictured.Chocolate Labrador and husky mix Lucy helps her owners Joshua Rheaume, aged 32, and Kelly O’Brien-Rheaume, age 30, to take care of their newborn baby girls. Lucy and Kelly are pictured.
Chocolate Labrador and husky mix Lucy helps her owners Joshua Rheaume, aged 32, and Kelly O’Brien-Rheaume, age 30, to take care of their newborn baby girls. Lucy and Kelly are pictured.

Joshua said: "I knew she needed me as much as I needed her."

Lucy was found on the streets by a stranger after the rest of her litter died. Kelly’s mother saw a post on Facebook and decided to pick her up and give her to the couple.

“Lucy is our daughter”

The couple, who live in Sudbury, Massachusetts, USA, immediately fell in love with the puppy, so much so that they made her the flower girl at their wedding, and announced their pregnancy with photos of her.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Joshua said: "Lucy is our daughter, we were told by multiple people that when we had kids she would take the wayside, she hasn’t. Emotionally she means everything to our family. I hope she’ll stay protective over the girls as they get older, I really want her to be their best friend."

Pet dog Lucy loves looking after her human siblings, baby twin girls Lilly and Lennon Rheaume.Pet dog Lucy loves looking after her human siblings, baby twin girls Lilly and Lennon Rheaume.
Pet dog Lucy loves looking after her human siblings, baby twin girls Lilly and Lennon Rheaume.

"Lucy is seven now and she’s starting to get grey hairs on her chin. It’s incredibly sad to think that there will be a day when she’s not here anymore. She has absolutely made being a parent easier, I’m confident falling asleep on the couch, knowing she’ll wake me up if the girls are crying. Having the ability to send things over to my wife through Lucy is incredible, it’s so helpful."

For even more uplifting stories, including stories about animals, which are sure to bring a smile to your face please be sure to check out our dedicated uplifting stories page which we update on a regular basis.

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.