When an injured baby crow named Russell landed in Autumn Buck’s Portland yard after falling from an 80-foot fir tree, nobody expected what would happen next. Buck’s border collie Meeko immediately took the tiny bird under his protection, chasing away stray cats and staying by Russell’s side as the crow recovered from his injuries. Despite their dramatic size difference, Meeko weighs 35 pounds while Russell weighs just 12 ounces, the unlikely pair became inseparable companions who now play fetch together, share pinecones, and take afternoon naps side by side.
Their daily routine reads like a Disney script: Russell pecks on the glass door to call Meeko outside for playtime, sits on flying discs during games of fetch, and even learned to drop a crocheted toy so his canine friend can retrieve it. Every morning, Russell greets Buck and Meeko from his perch on the front porch, and when Russell learned to fly, he chose to stay close to his chosen family rather than disappear into the wild. Buck, who named the crow after Russell Crowe, says she often can’t believe this magical friendship is real life, watching daily as these two species demonstrate that love and loyalty know no boundaries.
