Henry and Baloo: Dog and cat travel companions gain cult following

Best friends Henry and Baloo have a lot in common – they have both been rescued and now enjoy long walks in the great outdoors. What makes them special to their many fans is that they are a dog and cat travelling duo.

Their unlikely friendship and hiking trips around the beautiful mountainous landscapes of Colorado have gained the pair a cult social media following.

Hundreds of thousands of people follow their adventures on the photo-sharing platform Instagram.

For owners Cynthia Bennett and Andre Sibilsky, their popularity is surreal.

Cynthia and Andre met in Boston, but as New Hampshire and Texas natives, the couple say they are both nature lovers who were destined to move away from city life.

“We wanted to head west, toward bigger mountains. We came upon Colorado and moved on a whim, there wasn’t a lot of planning involved,” Cynthia told the BBC.

The pair started hiking regularly and once settled, decided to extend their family by adopting a dog.

Henry – a tall and lanky German Shepherd, Husky, Boxer, Staffordshire Terrier and Aussie mix – stood out right away.

“He was the same age as all the other puppies but twice the size. As soon as I got into the pen to see him, he crawled onto my lap and went belly up,” Cynthia explains, laughing.

“Andre knew then we were taking him home. I feel like he chose us in a way.”

Born as a street puppy, Henry was adopted from a rescue centre that re-homes animals from other states whose shelters have high abandonment and kill rates.

A mix of high energy dogs, he took to hiking and long walks straight away.

A year later, Cynthia realised that she was posting too many pictures of Henry on her social media accounts, and decided it would be a fun idea to give him one of his own.

“It’s also giving Henry and Baloo a better life, I get more time off to travel and be with them.”
It is not all positive, however. Popularity has brought on some backlash against the couple’s alternative outdoor-based lifestyle, according to Cynthia.
“As soon as you get well known, you get the other side – which has been different to deal with.
“I’m like, why are you attacking a dog and a cat? I just don’t get it.”

Source : http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43666657