These heartwarming images showcase the unlikely friendship between a dog and an orphaned baby deer. The baby deer was rescued when it was just one-week-old, after being found abandoned close to a hop field by some farmers in Regensburg, Germany.

Without anyone to care for him, the baby deer would likely have perished had he not been found. Fortunately, the farmers took him to a family they knew had experience raising deer.

The family took the young deer, whom they named Hansi, into their home and provided him with the care he needed to regain his health. But it was their 12-week-old Australian Shepherd puppy, Lia, who really took to the young deer.

Lia immediately embraced Hansi and treated him as her own. Now, just three weeks later, the two are inseparable and spend their days playing and cuddling up to one another.

Pet photographer and microbiologist Anna Auerbach was lucky enough to capture the pair’s special bond on camera, in a series of adorable snaps. In some shots, Lia can be seen trying to drink from Hansi’s milk bottle and playfully nibbling his face.

According to Anna, “The two of them get along really well. Hansi sees Lia and the other dogs she is being brought up with as family. The shoot only took about thirty minutes. All I had to do was lie on the grass and wait for the right moments – there were so many.”

These images are a testament to the power of friendship and the unique connections that can form between different species. They remind us that, even in the midst of challenging times, love and compassion can bring us together and create something truly beautiful\