“She is apparently the first dog to learn to do this” ❤️
This is Bracha Fischel, a talented painter who lives in Israel. Fischel, who developed quadriplegia later in life, has limited use of her hands — but that hasn’t stopped her from pursuing her love of creating art.
And to help her behind the scenes, Fischel has the cutest assistant.
About a year ago, Fischel was paired with a service dog named Donna. Since then, the two have become best friends, and things have never been better.
Along with assisting in day-to-day tasks, like opening doors and picking up objects, Donna actually helps facilitate Fischel’s art process. The sweet-natured pup happily brings her whatever she might need to complete a work.
“Donna brings brushes into my mouth, as well as pencils, felt-tip pens,” Fischel told The Dodo. “Everything I need to paint.”
Here’s video of Fischel and her adorable assistant in action — but this is far from Donna’s most important way of helping:
When it comes time for Fischel to enjoy a meal, Donna really shines.
Using a spoon modified for the pup to hold in her mouth, Donna literally helps her eat.
“She is apparently the first dog to learn to do this,” Fischel said.
In a friendship filled with gestures of love and caring, this is perhaps the sweetest:
For Donna, the assistance she lends really isn’t work at all.
“She does this with a lot of joy,” Fischel said.
In some ways, now every painting that Fischel completes isn’t the work of one artist alone — but rather the result of a beautiful partnership between Fischel and her dog.
“We are a good team,” she said. “I couldn’t do it without her.”