The Stewart family was out for a drive in rural, western Australia when they came across a kangaroo that had been hit by a car. It is not a rare, sight to see a dead kangaroo on the side of road in rural areas of Australia. The family got out to see if there was anything that they could do for the poor creature. They found that the kangaroo was dead, but that is was a mother and her joey was still alive in her pouch. They knew that the joey wouldn’t last long if they left it there, so they decided to take the baby kangaroo home.
The Stewarts decided to name the joey, Dusty. Once they arrive home they introduced Dusty to their family dogs, Lilly and Rose. Rose was an 11-year-old Border Collie at the time and Lilly a 5-year-old Golden Retriever. The dogs instantly took to their new family member, especially Lilly.
Their Golden Retriever, Lilly took Dusty into her care, so much so, that Dusty thinks Lilly is his mom! Dusty likes to groom Lilly, just like he would if Lilly was his mother. Dusty also gets very agitated if Lilly gets to go somewhere without him. He hops back and forth along the fence waiting for her return.
Dusty sleeps on the back patio with Rose and Lilly. The Stewarts had to get another dog bed for him. Before they got him a bed of his own he would steal one of their dog's beds and sleep in it! Now the dogs and Dusty all sleep out on the porch together in their own, separate doggie beds.
Dusty, Lilly, and Rose all get along great. They play together, with play fighting being one of Dusty’s favorites. Dusty loves to follow the dogs around and do whatever they are doing. Just like the dogs, Dusty wants to be included in all the family activities.
Dusty is very fond of going for car rides. He sits in the back of the truck with Rose and Lilly. They get to see the whole Stewart farm from the back of a truck and they all love it.
This little kangaroo is free to roam the entire Stewart farm. He will wander off sometimes but he always returns home. He wears a reflective collar so the Stewarts can locate him more easily at night. Kangaroos are semi-nocturnal so he likes to go out a graze at night. He is always home in his dog bed by morning. Dusty also likes to hang out inside the house when the Stewart kids are home from school.
Dusty is a fascinating character. He responds to his name and will come when called. He has also figured out how to communicate with the family. He uses gestures. For instance, Dusty will wrap an arm around his people to let them know that he wants head pats or scratches. The Stewarts report, that Dusty does love to get scratchies.
Dusty sees wild kangaroos on the large Stewart farm but has no interest in them. He is far too busy living the good life with the dogs. Besides, he is obviously a dog, so why would kangaroos interest him?
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.