This is a truly heartbreaking story. Please read. I am also including a link that has recent updates on "Bo". *warning, tissues will be needed
*this is from another forum...
Hello, I am a newly registered member, and wanted to post about a petstore bird. Everything will be explained in the post, and I just feel like his story needs to be seen throughout the bird community. There may be a link to another site or two, and my intention is not to promote those sites, it's to tell about this bird and his life.
First post regarding this bird:
*pictures are graphic, only view if you have a strong stomache
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http://photobucket.com/albums/v632/M...t=677dcc96.jpg
http://photobucket.com/albums/v632/M...t=bb96ff79.jpg
http://photobucket.com/albums/v632/M...t=bf0438de.jpg
Nice pics, eh? That's my hand petting this bird; I have large hands so that may give you an idea of the size of this wound. If not ... I guesstimate this wound may be about 4 in x 4 in. He is living in a stockroom/storage room. Dumped at this crappy pet store I keep my eye on due to horrid living conditions the animals are kept in.
Owner got married. Owner LEFT the bird for a 3 week honeymoon to live on a bowl of food, 2 bowls of water and NO toys. Owner comes back to a plucked bird. Owner is upset that how dare this bird react this way to her taking some time for herself. Owner dumps the bird at the store and the bird goes from plucking to mutilating.
This bird was not meant to be seen by anyone. I just happened to be walking by as an employee was exiting the store room and saw the bird. I pushed my way into the room exclaiming, "oh I'd like to see THIS bird." Employee tells me stuttering and stammering the story finishing w/ nobody is supposed to be back here. I had already scoped out the store for the manager and not seeing her I acted like I knew the manager throwing out the manager's name which relaxed the girl and left me w/ the bird. I went to get Larry to show him and to get him to take a few pics w/ the camera phone (the reason for the poor quality pics ... believe me the wound is MUCH worse than it looks). My NON-BIRD husband saw this bird and welled up w/ tears. He has always avoided the trips to see birds in this shape before. This was my husband's first time seeing such a hole. He exclaimed, "OMG, that's MY Peaches (meaning same species."
A light when on in my husband's head last night as to WHY I fight and scream for these birds, WHY I am anti-breeding, WHY I obsess over my birds. The homeless parrot level never made him understand, mild mutilations that he has seen in my home he has never understood ... but you know they were never a "Peaches bird". Peaches is my M2 that ADORES my husband, that worships my husband, and that my husband likes back (Peaches and Kayla are "his birds".) .... my husband saw our Peaches in that bird. My husband understands now.
I'll be contacting this store to try to get this bird out. I already know they paid nothing for it so they won't be out any money. The bird is in dire need of medical care. Not only from this hole that is oozing pus but the bird is severely underweight, and is having VERY wet sneezing problems. They have sought no medical care for this bird. It is on Ornabac and under a heat lamp. My HUSBAND who has always asked me if I can please stop fostering, please stop taking in birds ... made me promise that I will contact this store today and see if I can do anything for this bird (not that I wouldn't have if he didn't ask). My husband WANTS me to take in this bird and try to mend it. My husband WANTS me to spend the money to mend this bird.
This is a bittersweet moment for me ... my husband who always buried his head and refused to see the things I'd go to see and try to fix FINALLY understands. My husband ASKED me to help this bird because in this bird he saw "his" Peaches. He understands now and is asking questions that he has never asked before. He is listening to stories I have tried telling him in the past of birds I have seen and I just got the eye-roll or a sigh. My husband saw the heartbeat of this bird ... how can you not ... w/ the feathers gone and 1/2 the flesh it was hard not too. My husband understands ... at least for today what I have been trying to tell/show him for years. He saw in this bird's eyes the gentleness and the soul of Peaches and cried.
I hope I can get this bird out of that storage room .... this strange bird who so trustingly laid his head into a stranger's hand and looked into my eyes, this unknown, unloved bird that will most likely die in that storage room if medical help is not sought.
I'm so tired of my heart being broken by strangers, by people who can take THEIR bird and dump it and it's my heart that breaks for the bird. I'm such a bitter, surly person ... but my God I love these birds. How many times can a person's heart break before one dies of a broken heart or before you go numb? Did I cry on the outside ... no, I'm to used to this scene (sad that one can USED to seeing this, huh?) but inside I broke into a million pieces yet again ....
Please cross your fingers, say a prayer, whatever you believe in that works for you. Don't do it for me for I may fail at helping this bird but please send all your healing energies to this storage room bird that at this time literally has nothing more than a wing and a prayer of making it.
Thanks for letting me "talk".
Second post regarding this bird:
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Well, I'm back. It was not good news but not bad news. I don't have the bird but I am still working on it. My tongue is bleeding from holding back my anger but being I did not get a definite NO I had to remain calm for this bird's sake (they call him BoBo, they forgot what his name is).
The manager has promised this bird to a friend of hers. When I asked why then was the bird sitting in a storage room I was told because they can't have a bird that looked like that on the floor and that the man does not have the money for a cage so is saving for it. (My immediate thoughts are if the guy is saving for a cage how is the bird going to get immediate medical attention or WHY has the guy not had the bird seen by a vet and then return him to the store. Couldn't say that though because it is her friend.). She told me she would talk to the guy and tell him that I am willing to take the bird and that the guy loves birds and would want what is best for him. I said well if that is true let me take the bird NOW. I have a carrier out in the car, my vet has been notified and that I would even be willing to stop back by and report what the vet had to say. She said she couldn't do that to her friend that he has first option. She also said that in her opinion the bird did not need medical attention. That he is still eating ... UGH.
"BoBo" was worse today then he was yesterday. Today the wound was a bit larger it also had an "abscess" about the size of a dime. While I was there feeding "BoBo" he bit it open and bloody pus ran down his chest and dripped all over the perch he was on. He stood like a beaten down race horse that has been run until it's spirit was broken ... you know, legs splayed, head hanging. I sat w/ him for several hours. When I had to leave ... bless his heart he tried acting frisky as if to entertain me so I would stay a bit longer but he is so weak he'd start falling over.
I told him I'd be back and stuck my fingers thru the bars for one last rub. He put his ear against my fingers and as I pet him he sighed and said in a breathy voice, "you are a good bird" that almost made me cry. I told him YES you are a good bird, the best bird and that I wasn't leaving because he was a bad bird. I showed him my photo album of my birds and said that I was going home to take care of my babies but I promised I would be back. I know he probably understood little of what I was saying but explaining it to him made me feel a little better for walking out on him ... it gave me an "excuse".
I failed today, but I will be back tomorrow to try again. I also plan on calling my vet to see if I can get her down to the store .. doubtful but I'll try ... maybe if nothing else a phone call. Maybe if by Friday I am still failing ... do you think the news would be interested? Every day that goes by I fear that this bird is one step closer to dying. I'll pull anything and everything I can think of but I am so afraid I will fail ...
I'll be at the store every day until either they give in, the guy gets "BoBo", they call the cops on me for harassment, or BoBo passes.
Oh, one more great thing ... "BoBo's" owner did call the store before dumping him off to make sure that they would take her plucked, RED CRESTED MACAW.
OK, well my head is splitting, my stomach feels like I ate glass for lunch, and my hands are shaking. I do not do well holding in my anger like I had to do today. I'll post if I have any kind of an update ... if you don't see one it will be safe to assume I failed again that day too. I won't give up but I feel so horrible that I failed for "BoBo" today.
BTW, I took a few more pics but not sure how clear they are. If they are any better I will post them. Maybe tomorrow I will try to get my camera in there for better pics.
Here is the thread with these quotes and more: Meet Bo
Also here is another with some of his updates:
Bo's updates
Then here is the latest news: