A family in Esperance, Australia that adopted Dusty the kangaroo as a youngster after discovering his mother’s body by the side of the road in 2013 now treats him as a member of the family. Dusty, who is now 2 years old, is currently seen bouncing around and in and out of the farmhouse where Ashley Stewart was raised. According to Stewart, the amiable kangaroo truly believes it is a dog. He added that Dusty frequently plays with and follows their two dogs, Lilly the Golden Retriever, 5, and Rosie the Border Collie, 11.
He said, “Dusty behaves exactly like a dog. “He travels with the dogs and follows their lead wherever they go. He shares a bed with them, plays with them, and enjoys being petted and scratched.” Stewart stated that he, his wife, and their three children assume Dusty believes Golden Retriever Lilly is his mother. They have a particularly strong bond, and Dusty has a strong attachment to her, he said. He’ll pet Lilly and even give her a tender lick.
The four-foot-tall kangaroo is allowed to graze freely throughout the farm and travel outside, but Steward said that he always returns to his family. Since kangaroos are somewhat nocturnal, he occasionally roams and grazes at night, but he always returns and sleeps close to the dogs, the man explained. Dusty enjoys coming inside to sit in the living room when my kids are home from boarding school before going outdoors to walk the dogs.
Although Dusty (yet) doesn’t fully know any tricks, Stewart noted that he does respond to his name when called and uses motions to interact with the family.
When we placed the dogs into the truck bed and I was getting ready to take a drive around the farm, Dusty came up and seemed to gaze up at me like he wanted to tag along, the man recalled. “I then allowed him to board the back, and we all enjoyed the ride. Additionally, he may occasionally approach you and put his arm around you while requesting a pet or a scratch.” Stewart continued, “He’s simply a pet like any dog or cat, and yeah, he just so happens to be a kangaroo.