ALEX

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" " Excerpt from My Human, My Slave			Bird Vets in Your Area	Echo's Haven Sanctuary	HTML Shoppe Pages

My daughter was a given an Orange Wing Amazon by one of the veterinarians that I worked for (with permission). Erin had always liked birds and had a cockatiel, but this was special.

The bird had been wild caught and had belonged to an older woman before coming to my friend while she was in vet school, so we had no idea of the age of the bird. We did know that she was not happy when she saw a man wearing a baseball-type hat and assumed that someone like that had been the one to catch her. The vet's schedule doing emergency work was such that she didn't feel she was giving the bird the kind of life it deserved.

After Erin received the bird she did lot of research into the breed, we took her to an avian specialist for a check up, and we had her "sexed". The bird that was called Alex and he turned out to be female. Erin was a teenager at the time and worked hard at keeping the cage clean, making sure that Alex had fresh fruits and vegetables, etc.

Fast forward several years. Erin had married and had one child, along with Alex, 2 dogs, 2 cats, some fish and a turtle. Alex had never spoken any words and remained aloof with everyone except Erin.

Alex became ill, and Erin did her best to make sure that she had good medical treatment. We had no idea how old the bird was but she was not getting any better. By this time, I had moved to a different state and was less involved in her care - although she still didn't especially like me. Whilte I was visiting with them Alex became so ill that Erin decided that it was time to end her suffering. One of the hardest "shopping trips" I've ever taken was to purchase a towel to wrap her in and a box in which to bury her.

That night it was very sad. The bird obviously felt very bad. I suggested to my daughter that she set her up in a "hospital crate" - a crate sitting halfway on a heating pad with a towel over it for warmth. We could at least make her final hours as comfortable as possible.

As Erin was moving the bird she was cuddling her to her neck. I reached out and took the bird, something I had never been able to do before. I held the bird close, rubbing my cheek on her and talking to her.

"It's okay," I told her. "You've given Erin years of happiness and love, and she loves you. But now you are tired and you are sick. Erin will be okay if you need to go on. She will be sad without you but she understands and loves you enough to let you go."

By this time I was crying and handed the bird back to Erin. She cuddled the bird again and began whispering to her. About that time my granddaughter called from her room, wanting her mother. I went instead and talked to her. It became obvious to me from the sounds downstairs that Alex had passed over.

It was a heartbreaking experience, but so much better to have her die at home with Erin with her than to have to go to a cold office and be euthanized. I had read about being able to "talk animals over" but had never been able to do it or see it done before this time. I'm sure that Erin had followed my lead and told her much the same thing I had. We haven't ever discussed it.

			Echo's Haven Macaw Rescue Sanctuary The Complete Bird Community
Our goal is to provide a free-flight home for formerly abused, unwanted or problem Macaws.