Molly the Magpie’s devastated owners have broken their silence at the prospect of the bird being separated from her best Staffordshire Terrier friends, Peggy and Ruby, once again.
Juliette Wells and her partner Reece Mortensen could remove Molly from their Gold Coast home after the court annulled a wildlife keepers license the couple had been granted.
Daily Mail Australia revealed on Tuesday that legal firm XD Law & Advocacy launched Supreme Court action against Queensland’s Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) in September for granting the permit.
The couple released an emotional statement on Tuesday night to thank Australians for their continued support.
“Thank you so much for the outpouring of support and love as we face another bump in the road,” a post on Peggy and Molly’s Instagram page read.
“Some anonymous people challenged DESI’s decision in the Supreme Court to grant us a specialized license so Molly could return to a loving family.”
The couple added that the ruling means the license has become void.
“This also means that his specialized license application submitted on April 11, 2024 remains undecided,” the statement continued.
Juliette Wells (left) and Reece Mortensen (right) have broken their silence as Molly the Magpie faces the possibility of being separated from her employees Peggy and Ruby once again.
They anxiously await the next course of action, which remains up in the air.
“In the meantime, let’s live in the moment and enjoy the time we have together and let everything else go,” the statement ends.
The post was accompanied by a heartwarming video of Peggy and Molly playing together.
Molly was seen nibbling on Peggy’s ear and paw as the pair gazed adoringly into each other’s eyes several times during the clip.
Hundreds of followers supported the couple as they fight to keep Molly in their home and with her best friends.
‘Sending you all lots of love. “You’re doing a wonderful job and Molly is clearly living her best life,” one commented.
Another added: ‘This breaks my heart. “I send you love and all my positivity for a favorable outcome.”
A third wrote: ‘Surely Molly is free to go wherever she wants? He chose you lovely people.
Others called the move “scandalous” and expressed disbelief at the controversial decision.
‘I can’t believe this… this bird chooses to be with you. Stay strong and fight. Nothing should break this bond, it is healthy,” another follower urged.
XD Law & Advocacy revealed on Tuesday that it was acting on behalf of an anonymous wildlife rescue volunteer, who was supported by dozens of other animal carers, many of whom had been attacked by online trolls over the dispute.
The post, which was accompanied by a touching video of Peggy and Molly (pictured) playfully interacting with each other, explained that the specialist license had been rendered ineffective.
Molly the Magpie and her Staffordshire Terrier best friends Peggy and Ruby could be separated once again after a court revoked a Gold Coast couple’s license to keep the bird. Juliette Wells is pictured with Molly and Peggy
Jack Vaughan, from the law firm, told Daily Mail Australia that the Supreme Court on Monday overturned the granting of specialist licenses to Ms Wells and Mr Mortensen.
Molly had been separated from the couple in March when authorities discovered they did not have permission to care for native wildlife.
The bird was returned six weeks later, after a public outcry.
Vaughan said the court order was issued with the consent of DESI, which will now determine what happened to Molly after admitting she made a mistake.
“In trying to protect the welfare of the bird, which has always been our top priority, we made a mistake and are currently considering next steps,” a department spokesperson said.
In a later statement, the spokesperson added: “The department is currently reviewing the court decision.”
The wildlife volunteer who took legal action previously told Daily Mail Australia that magpies did not make suitable pets and suffered when kept in domestic captivity and that Molly, who is a male, was unlikely to survive.
That was also DESI’s original position when she first removed Molly from Mrs. Wells and Mr. Mortensen’s home.
“It is alleged that the bird was taken from the wild and kept illegally, without DESI issuing any permit, license or authority,” a department spokesperson said at the time.
DESI had independent veterinary advice. Molly could never be returned to the wild as he would not be able to care for himself, so he would have to be sent to a sanctuary or euthanized.
Molly and her canine companions have become social media stars. Molly and Peggy have amassed 1.3 million followers on Facebook and nearly 1 million more on Instagram.
The resulting public backlash prompted an extraordinary intervention from then-Queensland Premier Steven Miles.
Miles dismissed criticism that he had bowed to social media pressure by allowing Wells and Mortensen to stay with Molly, saying granting them permission was a “common sense” approach.
“I’m not a bird expert, but it looks very good and healthy to me,” Mr. Miles said when he visited Molly at the couple’s home.
Molly and her canine companions, Peggy and Ruby, live with Juliette Wells and Reece Mortensen in their Gold Coast home and have become social media stars.
DESI granted Ms Wells a permit to keep Molly after they agreed to conditions including not profiting from the magpie or its image, receiving appropriate training and defending wildlife.
XD Law & Advocacy argued that the decision was made for political reasons due to media pressure and set a precedent for anyone to own a wild animal.
“We became involved when we saw volunteer wildlife keepers being ridiculed and abused for upholding Queensland laws that prevent wildlife from becoming pets,” lawyer Jack Vaughan said.
‘These are the people who arrive in the middle of the night when they find an injured animal on the road. They do it for nothing. Most of the time they also pay for necessary medicines and food.
‘They represent the best of Australia and yet some of them were receiving death threats for suggesting the department’s actions were illegal. We agreed with them and it seems the court did too.
Vaughan said DESI had been “given the opportunity to demonstrate that it followed appropriate processes and standards in granting the carer licence”.
“To show that this wasn’t just a matter of giving a complacent nod to a prime minister, who wanted photos of himself, with a magpie on his head and a couple of social media influencers,” he added.
“They did not demonstrate adequate reasoning for the license in accordance with applicable law.”
The volunteer, who took action, said she was grateful to the Supreme Court and “proud of all the wildlife carers who stood up for the law when the department and the former prime minister did not.”
The magpie was confiscated in March after authorities learned Wells and Mortensen did not have permission to care for native wildlife, but the bird was returned six weeks later after a public outcry.
“We’re the ones dealing with the remnants of the social media fad of capturing baby magpies and training them to do cute tricks,” he said.
‘There’s nothing cute about wings and paws bitten off by family pets. There’s nothing cute about seeing a tame magpie ferociously attacked by a wild flock when they first interact.
“Seeing the former Prime Minister encouraging this idiocy in a desperate attempt to gain votes and followers on social media was pathetic.
“Seeing the Department of Environment join the circus and start issuing licenses was a step too far.”
The volunteer said she would not comment on what should happen to Molly.
“This action was not about a magpie, but about strengthening Queensland’s wildlife protection laws and the integrity of the wildlife licensing system,” he said.
Wells and Mortenson were distraught over the legal challenge to remove Molly from their home once again.
‘Molly is 100 percent, and always has been, our focus. We just want to move on and move forward,” Mortensen told A Current Affair in September.
“Four years ago yesterday, when we encountered a little magpie, who would have thought we would be in front of the Supreme Court here in Brisbane?” Ms Wells said.
‘Molly is happy, healthy and alive. Bossy, barking and being Molly.
Mortensen added: “Every time we’re in the public eye, it raises awareness for people to go out and do something to help wildlife and get involved.”
“We want to try to involve as many people as possible to help wildlife, because there aren’t many wildlife keepers.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the couple for comment.