A jackdaw which was rescued from the roadside by a hero hound has become best friends with the four-legged pooch – and rides around on its head.
Bowza, the 52 kilo Rottweiler, Labrador and Husky cross, made a new close pal called Bondi after he helped rescue the fledgling jackdaw he found lying at the side of a busy main road.
He pulled his owner Don Cox, 72, closer to the jackdaw which was “young and vulnerable and would’ve died” if it had been left to look after itself.
Don said he then took the bird home to help nurse it back to good health – by feeding it through a syringe.
And now after spending three weeks together, Bondi and Bowza are inseparable as the hound’s little feathered friend will often be found riding around on his head.
Don said: “They are best friends now, they never leave each others side. Bowza is a big softie. They both just walk around with each other, Bondi will fly and sit on his head.
“When we found Bondi, after Bowza pulled me over to the curb. Bondi was just lying there near the gutter with all these cars driving past.
“He was just a ball of feathers.
“I searched around but couldn’t see an adult or a nest and couldn’t just leave him otherwise he would be killed.”
Don said now Bondi is back to good health and they will be keeping him, after the surprise friendship which has been made.
Don said: “Bowza spends a lot of time with him. The little bird will even sit on his head.
“Bowza is pretty laid back so doesn’t mind at all. They get on really well.
“Bondi is getting on really well now, someone has given me a parrot cage for him to sleep in.
“But most of time, he is out of his cage loose, flying around the house.
“It is a bit chaotic to be honest.
“He is getting bigger now and a lot stronger.”
And this isn’t the first time the “big softie” came to the aid after he was awarded for his lifesaving act of kindness in November.
Bowza tended to an injured woman on a freezing afternoon after she had collapsed and banged her head – which meant that she was unable to get up.
The seven-year-old dog received an award for his lifesaving act of kindness after he was commended by the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA).
Don said Bowza “instinctively” snuggled up to the injured woman to keep her warm and laid by her side for and a half hours while she waited for an ambulance.
Don said: “Bowza laid down and never left her side. He had his front legs and head resting on her.
“He kept her warm, if he didn’t she probably would have got hypothermia. He just knew, dogs are instinctive like that.
“We found out that she had actually broken her hip
The pooch, from Hadleigh, in Ipswich, Suffolk has now been dubbed the “Hero of Hadleigh”.
Don said: “Bowza is great, he will do absolutely anything for me.”
Bowza’s actions also earned him to lead the football teams out at Ipswich Town’s Portman Road ground.
Don, who is now retired after owning a pet shop, said Bowza will often sing to his little buddy Bondi on a daily basis.
He said: “He sings to him all the time, I think my neighbours must think I am bonkers.
“It started when he heard the Last Post for Remembrance, he started howling and now he loves to sing.
“He can’t sing any specific song, or talk but he does sing.
“Hopefully when Bondi is older, because he is only four weeks old, he will sing back to him, apparently you can train them to talk as well.”