This orphaned calf was taken in by a dog lover - and now he thinks he's one of the pack

This orphaned calf found next to its dead mother made a miraculous recovery after being taken in by a dog lover - and now he thinks he's one of the pack.

Edward Foy, 27, found the three-month-old Brahman calf - called Peanut - sniffing at his dead mother who had been hit by a car, with his umbilical cord still attached.

He bundled the calf into his car with some towels and took him home to his 93 acre beachfront property in Broome, Western Australia.

Peanut bonded immediately with his six dogs and, as he has never lived among his own kind, became one of the pack himself.

He loves nothing more than sprinting up and down the beach with his canine pals.

Edward said: "He just thinks he's a dog. When the dogs start barking he'll wander over as well.

"He follows me around. When I take him into the water the dogs will run off, but I will feel his hooves scraping against the back of my calves.

"He's still learning what his name is, but when I call he'll wander back a little. When it comes to feeding he'll start sucking on my arm. He loves the taste of sweat off your arm on a hot day."

Edward was driving home from Ego Beach when he slowed down to pass a herd of cattle on the side of the road, on January 13.

He saw Peanut, who had his umbilical cord still attached, sniffing at his mother who had been struck by a car.

"It was a pretty bad way to start your first week in the world," he said.

"I just thought he wouldn't survive so I put him in the back of the yute, put some towels around him and drove him back home at 11 or 12 o'clock at night."

Edward arrived back at his house where his parents Jeff and Donna Foy, 60 and 50, were waiting with their extended family of dogs, chickens, pigs and peacocks.

He said: "I've done this a lot of time in the past where I've rocked up with random animals. A few years ago I rocked up with a few goats.

"They just thought 'here we go again'! They were more concerned about the cow's health and wellbeing, in my hands!"

Edward posted in the community Facebook group, and was then bombarded with calls offering milk and other supplies.

"I was driving around sourcing teat things for cows!" he said.

The calf, who weighed about 30kg at the time, lived upstairs for a few days until he could start walking on his own, and then relocated downstairs with the six dogs.

They quickly all became the best of friends, with Peanut copying his canine companions.

Edward added: "I've got a few massive, hard plastic floats hanging up around the yard the dogs will jump and hit the float and bite the rope, and while they were doing that he will head butt the float as well.

"If I say key words like beach, if I rattle the keys, the dogs will react and Peanut will automatically wait at the bottom of the gate for the dogs to meet him.

"He's the only one who doesn't have a leash! When I throw the tennis ball down the beach or in the yard and they all chase after it.

"He will not let the dogs out of his sight unless they're going up to bed."

Edward, who spends his days working on the family mango farm, spends up to $350 (AUD) a month on 20kg bags of special formula milk for the calf.

He said: "It's not just the formula, I've also got pink rock salt he licks to get minerals hanging up next to the building!

"He absolutely loves food. When you feed him milk he's running around. He annoys the dogs. He will jump through the air and rodeo and do wicked little jumps kicks and flicks."

And this amount of food leads to a similar amount of waste, but the cow is toilet trained.

Edward said: "He has pooped in my thongs, my shoes, a few times so I've had to wash those down!

"He knows what the garden hose means. I'll spray his bum in the afternoon after he poops! He's been a handful, but also a blessing in disguise."

Peanut is now 1.2m long, 60cm tall and weighs about 50kgs, so he gains a bit of attention when out enjoying a beach day with the dogs.

Edward said: "People will turn their head and then turn their head again like 'is that a cow?' People want to come over and pat him and he enjoys a good neck rub."

Animal lover Edward wants some more hoofed animals so Peanut learns his own strength is slightly more than the dogs', and has already got some llamas in his sights.

He said: "I really want to get him a missus and have some mini Peanuts moving around.

"The more the merrier. I enjoy animals around the yard and people's expressions when they see them. They take care of me and I take care of them.

"Be kind to nature you never know what can make an amazing pet!"