A PODGY pigeon will be flying high again thanks to a little girl’s rescue mission – and a much needed pedicure.

When seven-year-old Daisy first met Pat the Pigeon she thought the bedraggled bird had donned a pair of shoes for the occasion.

In fact, the overweight pigeon had fallen from her nest into frosty mud that clamped around her claws and formed hard balls.

The kind-hearted Darlington schoolgirl spotted the young bird struggling to fly and stepped in, sparking a rescue that ended in a pedicure for the podgy pigeon, courtesy of the RSPCA.

Animal lover Daisy found Pat on West Auckland Road in early December and begged her grandparents to call in the charity.

Thanks to her actions, the pigeon is now receiving treatment and is expected to be released into the wild upon her return to full health.

RSPCA inspector Kristina Raine collected Pat after a call from Daisy’s grandparents.

She said: “We don’t often see young pigeons like this at this time of year and in these colder conditions.

“It’s very unlikely she would have survived on her own. I took her to the vets and they gave her a much needed pedicure.

“She is now being looked after at the vets until she can lose her Christmas weight and learn to fly.”

She added: “We are so grateful for kind members of the public who see an animal in need and decide to act.

“We receive a call to our cruelty line every 27 seconds alerting us to animals in distress and without this we wouldn’t be able to continue to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome all the animals that we do.”