I'm Karla...I operate a bird & small animal sanctuary from my home. My main focus has been the birds since there are no other rescues for them in my area, I've read thru so many posts...as a previous dog & cat owner I grieved & cried along with the stories...I'm not sure, but I don't think I saw one bird owner here so I may be the "lone birdlady" so to speak. 2 years ago, I researched some & decided to buy a bird. A Quaker to be specific. I found a breeder & set up a date to see her baby birds. I fell asleep on the way there(3 hours) & woke up to the car stopping at the casino parking lot 10 minutes from the breeders house. I was SO mad, I told my husband that I had 5 dollars & when it was gone we were leaving!! I stopped at the first .25 machine I found, stuffed in the bill & pulled 3 times...I won $1400.00 & drug my husband out of there a.s.a.p after I was paid...I told him we had to go get my "lucky" bird!! At the breeders I was horrified. 12 of those poor babies were stuffed into a tiny cage just overflowing with poop, dirty water & no food in the bowls...I ran out to the car about to be sick..when I looked up my husband was getting in--WITH a quaker!! I was mad..but she was the smallest. She became my Kyra belle..& I vowed to only rescue not buy from a breeder because of those conditions...the laws protect cats & dogs more than birds in the area of what is considered "cruel"...it's so sad. It took work, but she grew to love me & only me. She would holler "I love you, what'cha doin??" when I came home & loved to play peek-a-boo & have her feet tickled... A week ago I fell asleep on the couch & Kyra's cage is only a few feet from there. She must have flown to be with me & got trapped under the covers & smothered to death by her own "mommy". I stayed with her after I buried her..the first night almost made me insane to leave my baby in the cold dark ground alone. I know it was an accident but oh how I miss her....the other birds call her particlar squawk & wait to hear it back, but it doesn't come...we are all so sad. Sometimes I think I will never stop crying...of course I don't bother telling anyone..."It's just a bird!" is all I would hear. Thank you for reading my babble, I will try & sleep some now...it's been almost impossible since I killed her....I have nightmares of the look of her when I found her. Karla B. & flock.
