Meet Peggy, the Staffy Who Adopted a Lost Magpie

Anybody who’s lucky enough to have a dog in their lives will tell you they love like no other animal (perhaps not even humans) can. We certainly believe that – it’s the reason we started Pawfect Pals!

There are many stories of dogs doing incredible things out of love, though few are quite as special as the story of Peggy the Staffy and her adopted magpie, Molly.

Yep, you read that right! It all started when Peggy’s parents, Juliette and Reece, spotted a scared, lost magpie chick while they were out on a walk. After trying to reunite the baby bird with its parents, she made the decision to take it home and nurse it back to health.

Juliette expected the bird, which they named Molly, would eventually recover and fly off to be with her own kind. What they didn’t expect was for Peggy to offer a paw in support.

“At first, Peggy was really scared, but curious”, says Juliette. “She would move close to sniff Molly, and then run away”.

Then, one day, something happened you only expect to read about in fairytales. Three weeks after Molly was brought home, Peggy started to produce milk for the magpie! Molly drank it, and before long, she was healthy and strong.

From there, the bond between the pair grew deeper and deeper. They snuggle together on the floor at nap time. Molly rides around the house on Peggy’s back. And whenever a wild bird pops by to say hello, Peggy is always around to make sure they play nice. They truly are best friends, and nothing can get in the way of that!

Recently, Peggy has given birth to a litter of puppies. As her way of saying thanks for looking after her, Molly has stepped into the role of big (feathery) sister to help Peggy take care of the adorable fur-babies.

“Even if she’s enjoying her time outdoors, Molly will make sure to come in now and then, check all the pups are ok, then run back out,” says Juliette. “She rounds them up if they get out of hand, and plays with them gently when they want to have some fun.”

There’s no mistaking it: Molly is part of the family. Yet Juliette is well aware that there may come a time when Molly decides to start a new family of her own. Molly has never been caged, and often goes for a fly in the nearby bushland. Who knows, perhaps she’ll meet the Mr. Magpie of her dreams somewhere out there!

Still, when you see Peggy and Molly sunbaking in the backyard, watch them chasing a ball, or hear them barking in unison (yes, Molly barks!), it’s hard to imagine they won’t be side by side for a long time to come.

Whatever the future holds, the friendship between Peggy and Molly is a beautiful testament to the pure love, patience and care all dogs have within their hearts. At first she was scared and respectful, yet Peggy came to treat a bird not only as a friend, but as a fellow creature in need.

“I have never experienced a love like it in my life”, says Juliette, and it’s easy to see why.

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Want to see more of Peggy and Molly? Check them out on Instagram - @peggyandmolly.