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Junipyr's Journey, an "unexpected" Rescue

Junipyr’s Story-Part 1

 

            For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Tess.  I met Kirah in spring 2016, through an online group on which we are both administrators.  The group posts a lot of information on parrots.  Some of it is very informative!

 

            I personally have a female gray cockatiel named Belle.  She is my baby, and I have had her with me since she was about 12 weeks old.  I did purchase her from a store and to this day I feel guilty about it.  However, I did not know about bird rescues and was not able to realize I had a choice.  As Kirah says, the best thing I can do is give Belle the love and support she deserves. 

 

            After becoming an administrator on the group and doing some research I made a decision that my next parrot would be an adoption/rescue.  I saw the awesome relationship Kirah has with her Timneh African Grey daughter Princess Joupitry and was hooked.  I’ve always loved African greys and it was my dream bird from the time I was a child.  Kirah works as Project Perry, which is a wonderful bird sanctuary in Virginia, USA.  I highly recommend following them on Facebook and visiting their establishment!  Kirah promised if I was patient she would find me a perfect fit for my family.  I wanted to make sure this bird was not only a good fit for me, but also my husband and Belle.  I am not a patient person, so waiting is a challenge.  I am the girl that will check to see if her exam grades are posted the hour after I take the exam.

 

            After a few months, I got a message from Kirah, telling me she had a bird that could be a good fit for us.  She set me up through a message with his former owner, and after a series of messages and a FaceTime call, I knew that Bud (old name) would make a great addition to our family.  The one catch was Bud (old name) was in New Jersey and I live 11 hours away in Indiana. 

 

            At first we were able to set up a meeting halfway between both our houses, but for various reasons, it didn’t work.  I tried to change the date to work with the owner’s schedule, but the owner was not willing to work with me.  It was a stressful time, but I didn't give up.  Thanks to Kirah and a friend, I am picking Junipyr up this Saturday, November 5th, 2016.    Kirah and her friend went above and beyond to help me.  Her friend picked up Junipyr, took him to her house and watched him for two weeks.  She has given Junipyr love, attention, new toys and a healthy diet. 

 

            I will be posting part 2 of this story this weekend along with pictures.  I just want to tell everyone who is considering adopting a bird that it is well worth the wait and frustration.  It is very rewarding and bird people will come together to help you.  This process has made me realize what complete strangers will do for you and a bird.  So please, adopt, don’t shop!

 

- Tess C.

At the time of the "exchange", it was quite obvious that this bird was lacking a lot of what he needed in life.  Starting with a properly clean cage and continuous proper diet.  Once he arrived to the house of his temporary foster mom, he ate and ate and ate some more, as if he had never eaten in his life.  We were all quite surprised how much this little guy was eating.  He quickly came out of his shell and showed that he has a lot of love to give to those who love him the way he deserves to be loved.  Clean bowls, a clean cage, and proper food were all given to Junipyr and he showed his gratitude in the love he willingly gave to him temporary foster mom.

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There is no way that any of this could have been possibly without the open hearted generosity of his foster mom, Claudia.  Tess and I will never be able to thank you enough for the time you have taken with this precious soul.  Because of you, he will have good food, a clean cage, vet care, stimulation, adventures, and love. 

 

Here are a few photos from Junipyr's time at his foster mom's house.  His foster mom is going to be very sad without her new little love, but she knows he is going to a good home where he will be taken very good care of. 

 

Stay tuned for the next chapter in this young bird's life.

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Junipyr’s Story-Part 2

 

            I have had Junipyr for almost two weeks now, and it has been nothing short of amazing.  It amazes me how he is so sweet and trusting, despite having his entire life uprooted and being brought to a new house, a new cage and new people.  It hasn’t all been easy, but it has been very rewarding and I wouldn’t change a single thing that has happened.

 

            I drove out to Ohio the day before I picked up Junipyr, since it was a halfway point.  My mom also lives in Ohio so it was great to visit her and her flock of seven birds.  The night before I picked him up, I could hardly sleep because I was so excited.  I woke up at 7 AM that Saturday so my mom and I could start our drive to Pennsylvania.  I am not a morning person, but I was so excited I could have woken up at 5 AM and been ready to hit the road.  The 4-hour trip passed quickly and we soon were in the meeting spot.  I couldn’t contain my excitement!

 

            We met his foster mom and the minute she opened the car door I fell in love. Junipyr looked at me and made eye contact and then he whistled.  He was everything that I expected and more.  We put him in our car and began our journey home.  I could tell he was scared, so I fed him some pelletberries and tried to keep him calm.

 

            Once we returned to my mom’s house we opened his cage and let him come out.  He stepped onto my finger and let me take him around the house.  That first night we snuggled and he let me scratch his head.  I was amazed by how trusting he was for having just met me a few hours before.

 

            On Sunday my husband and I packed up and went back home to Indiana.  Once we returned to my house we introduced Junipyr to his cage.  He was a bit rattled, but he quickly warmed up to it.

 

            In the past few weeks Junipyr and I have gotten to know each other.  He is very sweet, but had a few behavioral problems that I wanted to work on.  One of those problems was biting or trying to bite when he was on he cage or Java tree.  Kirah helped me work on target training and focus training to help combat the biting.  He still does nip sometimes, but never hard.  In the past few days I have been able to remove him from his cage without the target perch or food.  We still have some work to do, but I am very impressed with his progress.  Junipyr has also picked up a new whistle as well.

 

            I want to let everyone know, adoption is worth it.  I am so happy and honored that Juni has let me into his life.  He is now in his forever home and I want him to feel happy, safe and loved.  He loves to ride on my shoulder, play in the sink, take showers, destroy toys and help me study.  He has mastered the foraging box already and has made friends with his sister Belle.  To those who may be frusturated with the adoption process don’t give up! It’s well worth it and your bird will be eternally grateful!

 

-Tess C.

 

A few photos from Tess, of her time together with Junipyr.  They are doing great and it looks like she is putty in Junipyr's feet... and he knows it. 

 

They just have a way of owning you without you even realizing that they do...

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There are people out there that want to help birds without contributing to the "parrot problem".  One way to NOT contribute to this problem is to NOT BUY BIRDS from stores/breeders.  It creates a demand for more babies and the cycle will never end.  Sometimes trying to rescue or adopt a bird from a rescue/sanctuary can be a hassle, but it needs to be.  Why does it need to be a hassle?  Easy, many birds are failed over and over again.  Rescues and Sanctuaries involved in adoption have a responsibility to try their best and be sure that a bird is never failed again.  It can be very hard.  At Project Perry, we do not have a formal adoption program.  This is the last stop for the birds that are lucky enough to find their way here.  What Project Perry does try to do on occassion is put people in contact with one another if a bird needs a new home.  Check out our Bulletin Board page and on occassion, a bird that interests you, might be there.  Be sure to read the rules THOUROGHLY before using the Bulletin Page.  -K 

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