My Nonprofit Reviews

I adopted an umbrella cockatoo 6 1/2 years ago, without knowing what I was getting into. He was a beautiful 3 month old baby who had been injured by the pet store that was hand feeding him-they burned a hole through his crop with food that was overheated. As he was recovering, he & I bonded & I made arrangements to buy him. I already had a 20 year old blue & gold macaw who I had adopted about 3 years before & that was going well, so I did not think this cuddly cockatoo would be any different. About a year ago, I found out how difficult a hormonal male cockatoo could be. As he matured, he became difficult & unpredictable. One attack sent me to the emergency room. We got past that & I tried to cautiously keep the bond. Unfortunately, this past February he got me again. My thumb is almost healed (3 1/2 months later), but after that attack I realized that I was now afraid of my bird. I tried to overcome it, I have had many pets of various species, most rescues, & I have dealt with a lot of problem behaviors. But after about a month, I still couldn't bring myself to touch him. I realized that I was afraid of him & I was pretty sure that this time I wasn't going to be able to overcome it. He can be such a good bird & I felt he deserved a home with someone who had more time to spend with him & who knew how to handle a difficult bird. I wanted him to have a happy home with someone who wasn't afraid of him. That's when I started looking into adoption agencies. I spoke with many people & looked up options online. The Lily Sanctuary came highly recommended. I was very comforted by the lengthy in-depth adoption process & the obvious love for birds. When I sent in an email explaining my situation, Sue (their adoption coordinator) responded quickly & compassionately. She understood how difficult this decision was & she was very helpful. She explained the process & assured me that my bird would only be placed with someone who could handle him & who would know his past history. She let me know that not only would the adopter have to love my bird, my bird would also have to choose the person. She made the process bearable and I believe that "Riesling" is now fortunate to be starting a new happier life. I miss him & I'll always love him, but I don't think that I could have given him the life he deserves. I don't know what "Riesling" & I would have done without the Lily Sanctuary. I was afraid to touch him & I'm sure he was unhappy with the lack of attention. He's been gone for about 2 months now & I still cringe when I look at my injured thumb. I know that I would still be unable to hold him, so I am glad that he has a new home, where he will be cuddled & loved. I am so glad that a place like the Lily Sanctuary exists...a place where people who truly love birds & understand birds help them find forever homes.

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