I just read the post about someone who's been 'trolling'. This is so disturbing. I may not understand why this person has decided to make life even more miserable for WOTR but it's all so childish on his/her part. I myself do not contribute much here but I am supportive.
I am not a volunteer nor have I been in WOTR as much as many others here so cannot be supportive in a major way.
What I can do is tell you what Deb helped me through. I had a tiel, Candy, who was given to me two years ago. Candy was as well cared for by her owners as she could have been but the owners really had no clue about her. I thought she was “stressed” and was plucking her feathers because of her original home life. When she came to me she had bare shoulders and a partial bare belly. I was told she was five or so years old. Candy was so very loving and of all things liked to cuddle.
My limited knowledge of cockatiels at the time made me turn to Deb by phone a couple of times. As time went by, I realized Candy was much, much older than I was led to believe. Something Deb cautiously tried to confirm as she had yet to see Candy.
Even so, it was true. After speaking to the original family I found out my poor girl was probably closer to twenty. When I saw Candy was in trouble, I did take her to Deb. I think Deb thought I was “dumping” her off but she realized how upset I was at the state Candy was in. Deb was so kind to me and so tender with Candy. Candy was dying. Deb could see this, I could not. Two days later, September 11, 2011, Candy died while she and I cuddled and said good-bye.
Just so you know; the real reason I do not go into WOTR is that I am allergic to so many feathers! I know; it’s odd that I have a cockatiel. I also have an elderly zebra finch by the way. Two friends with feathers don’t usually bother my allergies and when they do, it is very minor. But that day back in September when I stepped into WOTR-well-suffice to say it was a bit over whelming.
On the flip side of that, I love what WOTR stands for. I’m so proud of Deb and the volunteers that have made such a difference in the lives of all the birds. Not just that, she has made it possible for people like me to be a part of WOTR by allowing us to take part in making loving homes for the birds.
I was missing Candy so terribly by February. A friend of mine who has two tiels and a pair of keets from WOTR surprised me with Micah as a gift. He’s a male tiel and young and has filled a void in my life.
Micah has settled in very nicely with Mr. Mister, my Zebra Finch. Micah is whistler but he has picked up a few words from somewhere. I can’t make them all out but “pretty birdie” “whatcha doin” “Mister” and sometimes “pretty boy” are obvious. He can wolf whistle better than any man I know, and has picked up a couple of tunes from me. He whistles the “Mexican hat dance” and is currently working on “whistle while you work”. Intertwined with all of this is his, what I call “jungle talk”. He loves to do this every day and it just makes me smile when he does it. Unintelligible it might be but he seems so happy when he’s “talking”.
I’ve written this for several reasons. I know Micah came from a loving home to Deb simply because the family Micah lived with could no longer care for him and his brothers and sisters. But many of the birds that come to Deb have not been as lucky as Micah. They’ve been abused, physically and mentally. I know Deb and the WOTR staff and volunteers have taken these birds in, given them someplace safe and loved them. I know they care for them.
I may have been in WOTR only once, and even though I was upset, I saw what was going on that day. Feeding, watering, cleaning, talking, laughing and most of all loving. It was so obvious how much these birds are loved by everyone. I can honestly say it is so. My thoughts and prayers are with Deb, the board of directors, the volunteers and staff, and most of all the birds. It will be so until they are returned to the safe and loving environment of Wings Over The Rainbow.
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