A whippet’s best friend … is his magpie!
MIKE and Boo do everything together, from going on walks to sharing food and even a bed.
Not so unusual, you might think. Until you learn that Mike is a magpie and Boo is a whippet.
The unlikely bond between bird and dog blossomed four months ago after a distressed Mike was found floundering on his own at about two weeks old.
Boo’s owner Steve Rostron was out on an evening walk in Sabden, Lancashire, when the inquisitive dog sniffed out Mike behind a telephone junction box.
Mr Rostron, 44, an artist, believed Mike may have fallen out of his nest from a tree. Worried that he might not survive, he took the bird home and, along with his partner Janine MacLean, nursed Mike back to health by feeding him with a syringe.
However, when it came to letting Mike back into the wild, he refused to go – preferring to stay with Boo instead. Now, Mike and Boo are so close that they even enjoy nestling up on the sofa to watch television together.
Mike often joins Boo on daily walks, flying ahead and waiting for Boo to catch up. The friendly bird even refuses to sleep in his cage and prefers to sleep in Boo’s basket.
Miss MacLean, 49, said: ‘It’s a bizarre but wonderful friendship.
‘When Steve brought Mike home I didn’t think he’d make it through the night, he was so tiny. He was really struggling.’
The wild magpie has even captured the hearts of locals by stealing sips out of their pints and flying into shops.
Miss MacLean said: ‘He is such a social little man, he is drawn to anywhere with a crowd. He goes to the park on Boo’s back to see the kids.
‘He is a little superstar and his relationship with Boo is just magical. I couldn’t imagine our lives without him.’