Photos: Owl and Dog Bond Together

[joeybee12]

If “Harry Potter” comes to mind at the sight of this barn owl perched on a dog’s shoulders, you’re not alone. We felt a very magical vibe from the photos of these two best friends and while the dog’s name isn't Harry, it still has a very wizardly namesake — Merlin!

According to Rex Features, Willow and Merlin became fast friends three months ago when the owl’s daily exercise was combined with the dog’s walk. Now the unlikely pair are a familiar sight at the Pen y Bryn Falconry centre in North Wales.

http://animaltracks.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/27/11431292-magical-mates-owl-hitches-a-ride-on-dogs-back?lite

[Gold Metal Flake]

1. Cool looking dog. What breed?

[larkrake]

6. Irish Wolfhound, a nice one

[DCKit]

2. Rick Santorum must be peeing himself right about now.

He was soooooooo close.

[The Wizard]

11. Winner (NT)

[Politicalboi]

3. So cute

Smart owl. Gets to have a dog take him around, and he gets to pick and eat fleas off the dog.

[Bigmack]

4. That's a beautiful Barn Owl. EVERYBODY loves barn owls. The dog has good taste. nt

[Polly Hennessey]

5. What breed

I think it is either an Irish Wolfhound or a Scottish Deerhound. They are huge. Can stand 6' tall on their hind legs. Wonderful dogs.

[Rex]

7. Two predators of different species co-existing

together like that is a wonderment. Proves animals are far more complex them the average person gives them credit for.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. K&R! I don't know if this is the strangest thing I've seen, or the cutest...

Great pix and a wonderful story!

[freshwest]

9. Love it! They look made for each other. Owl to fly wedding rings, great!

[Liberal_in_LA]

10. where's the owl and cat bonding photo?

[-..__...]

13. Right here...

[Liberal_in_LA]

15. omg. My heart skips when the cat jumps at the owl. watch out owl!

[happerbolic]

12. interesting picture...

... but, if an owl is out in the daylight, behaving like this, could environmental signals be getting crossed or maybe some kind of ailment on the owls behalf be occurring? his/her poor eyes have to hurt some, being as photo-sensitive as they are designed to be.
I do see owls sometime right as the cusp of nightfall and all the time hear them at night, this just seems oddly conspicuous being out in the day. Maybe in the stretch of country i live in, owls behave like they should. cute or not.

yeah, yeah.... grumble, grumble.....killjoy...
but still.....

[-..__...]

14. A trait of Barn Owls, maybe?

As in the pictures and posted video.

[Doremus]

16. From reading the article

I get the impression that the owl is being rehabilitated at a shelter.

"...the owl’s daily exercise was combined with the dog’s walk..."

Perhaps it was injured in the wild. Just a speculation but it seems as rational as any other reason that an owl would be riding on a dog's back.

[happerbolic]

17. ...ok, but even so...

... still would seem torturous and frightening for the poor owl to be rehabbed in such a manner.

no matter how cute a image this came out to be. I've seen quite a few 'cute' scenarios play out in tragedy before, just to get that 'aww.....' factor.

even goes more toward man's (peoples) bastardization of nature, i suppose.

grumble, grumble, killjoy.....

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. One local shelter has a two year old barn owl

That is insomniac. Like this guy he is out during the day.

Poor thing fell from nest and was seriously hurt. Can't use his right wing. He serves as an animal ambassador and loves to be with his humans. He is actually quite tame.

[happerbolic]

20. i guess it goes to show...

...with enough attention & care, one can coax the natural instinct out of a cutie like this... the security it feels must be of more worth than the sensitivity nature has engineered into it's 'after dark' traits. Especially if it was impaired as a baby..

better keep him/her as a pet for then on out... make easy pickins' for day predators otherwise...

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. He would not have survived in the wild

Nor will now.

He does a good parrot imitation and asks for his humans to scratch his head. He is also not as screechy as parrots.

Why i said he is an animal ambassador who helps raise needed funds to help other wild life that can be rehabilitated.

We met him at the fair. Cute, very cute. He must hav known we are owned by two conures.

[happerbolic]

22. Ha! love it!

...owned by two conures.

got two greys that have complete control on me as well...
feathers = strong medicine

[Blue Owl]

18. Hoo's a good doggie?

n/t

[libodem]

23. Hoo hoo

Hoo?