Videographer / Director: Alicia Williams

Producer: Jack McKay, Nick Johnson

Editor: Joshua Douglas

PRO 10 Hen party: Penny Chicken is best friends with rescued dogs Lucy and Roo

The energetic pooch named Roo has become best friends with Silkie chicken Penny after they were rescued and re-homed together. They now live with owner Alicia Williams at her house in Duluth, Georgia, and have become inseparable friends.

PRO 10 Wheely close: Penny and Roo have been inseperable since being introduced by owner Alicia Williams, 26

The pair love playing and Penny sometimes rides on Roo's back when he scampers outside using a specially made wheelchair. Alicia said: "The first time Roo met Penny Chicken, we placed him in a bed on the floor and she wandered over to check him out.

PRO 10 Rock-solid: Penny and Roo have been there for eachother throughout a string of medical problems

"She was very patient while he chewed on her toes, pulled at her feathers, and rolled all over her. "When he tired out and fell asleep she climbed on top of him as if he were an egg - and they've been friends ever since."

PRO 10 Road to recovery: Roo underwent surgery on his back legs as they were taking too much strain

Penny, a Silkie chicken - so-called because of their atypically soft and fluffy plumage - was formerly used in science experiments, though it is not known what kind. She would have been disposed of had she not been taken in by Alicia, who works at Duluth Animal Hospital, in Georgia, who agreed to adopt her.

PRO 10 Puppy love: Lucy the pitbull and Roo the Chihuahua have both become firm friends with Penny

She added: "Chickens are flock animals and need companionship, and I began bringing her with me to work during the day. "We often have employees' dogs in the building - why not a chicken? She was a big hit with the clients and seemed to thrive around people and other pets. "She is unafraid of dogs and is not flighty or easily rattled. She became very attached to me, follows me around and likes to sit on my feet. She knows her name and comes when called."

PRO 10 Bed buddies: The unusual chums sometimes sleep side by side

A few months later the hospital received a call about a tiny puppy found abandoned in a ditch. Alicia said: "Roo had been born without the lower portions of his front legs, and someone had dropped him in an abandoned park in the middle of a freezing February day. "He was only a couple pounds and very cold. Though we'd only had larger dogs thus far, we couldn't say no.

PRO 10 I love Roo: Penny the silkie chicken has helped looked after the little Chihuahua since he was a puppy

"We decided to adopt him, knowing he would need special care, a wheelchair, and likely surgery in the future." Roo has since had surgery to have his knees repaired earlier this year. Dogs usually carry two-thirds of their weight on the front legs and so there was extra pressure on Roo's knees, back and spine.

PRO 10 Chicken surprise: The pair's odd relationship has made them popular on the internet

Alicia said: "After surgery he spent weeks recovering and Penny Chicken was never very far away, preferring to hang around his bed while he got better, going with us to his appointments, water therapy sessions, and work with the cold laser.

PRO 10 Sombre-Roo: Roo and Penny, who are both three years old, take a well-needed nap

"Similarly, Penny Chicken has problems with her reproductive tract, which is a major thing for a chicken, and when she has episodes, Roo stays nearby. "Though we've since added a couple more Silkie chickens to create a small flock for her, Penny mostly prefers to hang with Roo and our pitbull, Lucy."

PRO 10 Rescuer: Kindhearted Alicia Williams, 26, has adopted both animals despite their health problems