Instagram star Molly the magpie is due to be reunited with its best friend Peggy the staffy after Queensland Premier Steven Miles promised the couple would gain a permit.
Molly was seized by authorities two weeks ago as the couple did not have a permit to keep the magpie at their Gold Coast home.
Miles was under pressure from carer photographer Juliette Wells, her husband Reece Mortensen and their 812,000 followers to work with the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) to find a way to bring Molly home.
“I spoke this morning with Reece and Juliette, Molly’s carers, and indicated to them that we have identified a pathway to ensure they can obtain an appropriate permit,” Miles said.
“I know that that will come as good news to the thousands of people who comment on my Facebook page every day and call on me to free Molly.”
Molly rocketed to fame after the bird was taken in by Gold Coast photographer Juliette Wells and her husband, Reece Mortensen, as a fledgling during lockdowns in 2020.
The magpie befriended one of the couple’s pets, an English staffy named Peggy, and cute photos of the pair taken by Wells quickly went viral.
The couple announced to their followers that they had no choice but to surrender the magpie to the DESI on March 26.
A DESI spokesperson alleged the couple did not have a valid rehabilitation permit at the time.
The next day Miles said his government was committed to working with Wells and Mortensen to ensure they could obtain the required permits.
A post to Peggy and Molly’s Instagram page yesterday claimed Miles was not responding to the couple after he promised his support.
“If he does get back to me I’m going to tell him WOOF I’m NOT Happy, I miss my bestie & think about him everyday,” the post written in the perspective of the couple’s other dog Ruby said.
The post encouraged people to keep emailing their support to the government departments.
Mortensen previously said he had applied for a wildlife permit but was asked to withdraw the application because of a perceived conflict of interest over the couple’s social media accounts.
News of the separation of Molly and Peggy caused public outcry.
An online petition calling for the pair to be reunited has attracted more than 154,000 signatures.
