Queensland’s Premier has thrown his support behind a bid to reunite Molly the magpie and Peggy the staffordshire bull terrier.
Gold Coast couple Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen rescued the chick when she fell from her nest at a local park, and the bird formed an inseparable bond with their pet dog.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Gold Coast couple fight to reunite two best friends.
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The special interspecies friendship has made the animals Insta-famous and garnered them a massive social media following. The pair even had a book about them published in 2023.
But after multiple complaints, Molly was recently surrendered to wildlife officers who argued the bird was allegedly “taken from the wild and kept unlawfully, with no permit, licence or authority”.
Wells said that the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) also had “concern” the couple had benefited financially from the wild bird.
Premier Steven Miles chimed in on Wednesday, calling on authorities to help the couple secure the proper wildlife permits.
“I know they take their responsibilities under the law very seriously, but I think in these circumstances there’s room for some flexibility,” he said.
Molly is currently in the department’s care as it looks for a suitable facility for the bird, which is too domesticated to be released back into the wild.
Since she was seized, Wells and Mortensen have not been able to see the treasured bird, but they are not giving up hope of a magical reunion.
“I hope my support for that campaign can get Molly back home,” Miles said.