I cringe every time I see a video of a dog or cat playing with a bird or a large bird playing with a bird, and the owners saying the same thing…my dog would never….

Really?  Never?  Have you seen how your dog would react if the bird is having a bad day and gave the dog a good bite on the nose? All bets are off then!  Or if the bird simply startles the dog when it’s sleeping or gets too close to a favorite toy of food?

Meet Hope.  

Hope’s family had her for two days before she was attacked by a boston terrier.  Her mom thought she was a protected as she could be.  Hope was sitting on her lap at the time.  The dog lunged, grabbed Hope and shook her.  Her mom stopped the dog very quickly but the damage was already done.  Hope suffered a complete break in her back…including her spinal cord.  She will never have use of her feet…but she has learned to get around without them.  She’s a happy baby only a little over a year old…and total macaw in every other way.  Upon intake at the sanctuary we named her Hope.  She continues to surprise us every day.  Hope will remain a resident of the sanctuary due to the care she needs on a daily basis.

And this is Faith…the bird with no name.

Faith was also attacked by a dog.  Instead of taking her to the vet after the dog attack, her family threw her in an aquarium and had her living with cockroaches for years.  When she was rescued, we learned that she didn’t have a name either.  They simply called her “the bird.”  So we named her Faith upon her arrival.

Faith suffered multiple breaks in her leg when she was attacked. She was unattended and left to heal on her own.  Her leg is now folded up under her.  Unless you pick her up you would probably not even notice that the leg was was there.

The first thing we did once she was released from the hospital was give her a perch.  Sure enough….this baby …left to live in an aquarium still wanted to perch like a normal bird, but was denied that for years.

Faith has found her forever home and a family who loves her very much!  She’s coming around…is learning to trust and talk again.  She has found her voice and she’s loving every minute of it.

Without you we cannot continue to rescue and find homes for birds like Hope and Faith. Medical bills are astronomical when you take in a bird with injuries such as theirs.  Because Rickie’s provides medical for all intakes and because our special babies, in most cases, require hospitalization upon intake.  We really can’t do it without you.  Your donations save these babies.  We are simply the caretakers and providers.  Without you, these babies wouldn’t be in forever homes or perfectly great pets would be euthanized when they could live happy and healthy lives and be loved by families.  Special birds make wonderful pets.  They tend to trust their caretaker more than normal birds…they know that they need them.  They love like no other.

So, please…every little bit helps and every donation is as appreciated as the next.  Thank you!