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Who owns Bunsen? Pet dog braves porcupine attack to save dog sister Beaker

The owner tweeted that Bunsen was attacked by a porcupine while attempting to defend the family's other pet dog Beaker, a Golden Retriever

Twitter loves dogs. If there was any doubt, you simply need to look at the support one beloved pooch is getting. Bunsen, a Bernese Mountain dog belonging to a Canadian family was the new star of social media late on Thursday, May 27. The dog's owner runs a popular Twitter account, with an Instagram profile and e-store to match as well. 

The owner tweeted that Bunsen was attacked by a porcupine while attempting to defend the family's other pet dog Beaker, a Golden Retriever. The incident and subsequent trip to the vet have quickly become a trending topic on Twitter, with many users posting messages in support of Bunsen. Pet dogs have always been important to Twitter, with the death of Fergus (who belonged to the Queen) and Bo (Barack Obama's dog) being widely mourned on social media.

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Thankfully the pet pooch is expected to make a full recovery, with the owner tweeting "Let’s hope Bunsen doesn’t need a second trial and can form a conclusion." The hilarious tweet has drawn a lot of attention to Bunsen and Beaker's profile, as well as their owner. 

Who owns Bunsen and Beaker?

The two pets are owned by Jason Zackowski, a science teacher in Alberta, Canada. Zackowski teaches chemistry at the Lindsay Thurber High School, in Red Deer, he is also the head of the science department. Zackowski is married and also has two children. The family got Beaker, a "COVID puppy" in 2020. 

Apart from being a popular teacher, Zackowski is also something of a popular media personality. He hosts 'The Science Pawdcast', a very popular podcast available on all major services. He also runs Zed Science, a science-based website. His social media profiles are filled with scientific facts and knowledge, and frequent cosplays. Zackowski has also roped in Bunsen and Burner to help promote science, by giving his two pets a prominent social media following. 

"We’re in a time right now where misinformation spreads faster than true information. So anybody that wants to spread good science, we have to use everything we can. And if we have to use dogs, we should use dogs. They’re adorable," he told Global News in December 2020. Reportedly, his class isn't too excited about the dogs' involvement, but social media tells a very different story. The Bunsen and Burner Twitter account has over 85k followers, and their Instagram account has 21k. 

Thanks to the success of his humorous and lovable approach, Zackowski has become something of a mini-celebrity. Earlier this year, he was roped in to contribute to The History Channel's 'History Erased' episode on dogs and cats. Science aside, Zackowski is currently busy battling misinformation around COVID-19. "Without fact-checking you can say literally anything, especially on Facebook. Facebook has been really slow to clamp down on misinformation,” he told the Red Deer Advocate. '

60 quills removed from Bunsen

The two pups were outside on Zackowski's farm on May 27, when a porcupine appeared. Zackowski tweeted, "Poor Bunsen - a porcupine came out of no where and he bravely defended Beaker. We are at the vet and he is getting many quills pulled. We may not be active tomorrow- recovery!" His tweet received tons of messages to cheer Bunsen, one read:"Nice defense Bunsen!!! Making Big Brothers around the world proud!! Who do we need to speak to to make sure your recovery includes the PROPER amount of (lookin’ at YOU Dadguy )." Another said: "Oh Bunsen!! You are such a good brother protecting Beaker from these dangerous animals! I hope your floof protected you from any serious harm!! More waffle mountains when you’re healed!"

Zackowski soon gave concerned fans an update, "Bunsen is home and resting- the vet worked quick to remove around 60 quills. One quill is still in his shoulder which is causing him pain and limping, it will hopefully be removed tomorrow. Thank you so much for your well wishes." 

Thankfully, the damage doesn't seem to be permanent. Shortly after Zackowski's first tweet, users responded with a series of messages wishing Bunsen and speedy recovery and images of their own pet dogs. The story quickly trended even in the US, as well-wishers continue to tweet support to the beloved pet.