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Meet the dog who's best friend is a pigeon

Mar 8 2009 Sunday Sun

Gonzo the pigeon and Shetland Sheepdog Jester

MAN’S best friend may be his dog . . . but this dog’s best friend is a pigeon.

Unlikely pals Jester the Shetland Sheepdog and his feathered friend Gonzo the pigeon can often be found snuggling up together on the sofa.

The pair bonded when Jester’s animal-loving owner took in Gonzo after she was found by builders abandoned on a construction site.

Gonzo was taken to a veterinary surgery in North Shields where staff said she would either need to be carefully hand-fed or they would have no choice but to put her down.

Big-hearted veterinary nurse Pauline Marshall couldn’t bear the thought that the little bird’s days might be numbered so she took her home.

She called the chick Gonzo after the Muppets character because of her distinctive-looking beak.

Against all the odds, Gonzo survived and grew into a healthy adult bird.

Jester, who was also rescued by Pauline, who works at First Vets in Heaton, Newcastle, became firm friends with his flighty housemate and they have become inseparable.

So close is their bond that loyal Gonzo has refused to fly the nest.

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