CRITTER CORNER: Corner lobby sits empty after feathered friend dies

In January 2007, I saw an advertisement about a large-scale bird breeding facility that was going to hold an absolute auction due to the poor health of the owner.

The advertisements in trade magazines declared the birds were “proven money-makers,” enraging many groups dedicated to the welfare of companion birds. Because of our proximity to the facility, the Danville Area Humane Society became involved.

Bird rescue groups and sanctuaries wanted to take as many of the birds as possible out of the breeding cycle. We were also concerned with the medical condition of many of the birds. We made several pre-auction trips to the facility and ultimately were asked by the owners if we would accept some of the sick birds before the auction.

We, of course, did.

 People from all over the country also donated money to us so we could bid on other birds during the auction.

We had made a list of the birds we wanted to bid on, but during the five-hour online auction, we made many other decisions about bidding on birds. One single bird, a blue and gold macaw, was described as “plucked.” These birds sell for a couple of thousand dollars, but I made a split second decision to place a bid. No one else bid, and the bird sold for $175. The next blue and gold macaw sold for $1,200.

After a trip to the facility in Greensboro, N.C., — an agonizing wait and transfer of the birds to crates and our van — we arrived back at the shelter about midnight. Most of the birds we brought back with us had many, many physical and emotional problems.

The almost bald blue and gold macaw had a very bad seizure that lasted several minutes. We decided to put him in a quiet place and let him calm down. We wondered what had brought him to the breeding facility. We had been told that many of the birds had previously been in homes, but then had either been given to the facility because they thought the people were expert caretakers (they were not), or had been shuffled from home to home until finally there were no other options.

What we did not know then was what a special bird the macaw was. We decided we would keep him at the shelter until we could find a special home for him. We could not decide on a name, although I wanted some regal.

The debate went on and on for several days until we finally decided on B.G. (blue and gold). It was not very original because an avian veterinarian told us there are lots of such macaws named B.G. Oh well, we convinced ourselves that he liked it. We also decided that he needed to stay with us.

Employees and volunteers pooled money to buy B.G. a large cage, and he took up residence in a large public receiving area of the shelter. Visitors to the shelter loved looking at him. He said “hello,” but it was on his terms and schedule. He loved to eat treats — walnuts and peanuts were his favorite. Although his beak could have easily cracked them, he preferred Joe Davis, the retired animal control officer, to crack the walnuts.

B.G. and Lynn, the board president, became best buddies. Lynn was the one who could calm B.G. down during his nail and beak clips. Lynn was the one who could get B.G. through his seizures which continued to be an issue. Lynn held B.G. on his lap one Saturday when he was taken to an avian veterinarian for an examination, and we could not believe how well B.G. did on the trip.

He was a gentle giant of a bird who stayed on top of his cage all day, watching all the comings and goings of the shelter. His feathers grew back in rich, beautiful colors.

Birds are genetically pre-disposed to mask illness; this protects them in the wild from hawks and other predators. By the time they show symptoms of illness, they have been ill for quite some time.

About three weeks ago, B.G. did not get on top of his cage, but climbed down to sit on the floor of the cage. He had been OK that morning, but by late afternoon, we knew something was wrong.

The closest avian veterinarian was on vacation, and I called clinics from Roanoke to Charlotte to find out if they could see B.G.

Lynn, his wife and April, the shelter manager, and her husband had gone to Las Vegas for a few days of vacation, and they were due in at the Raleigh airport about 5 that evening. We sent e-mails and text messages for them to call us as soon as they landed. The message was brief – B.G. is very ill.

They came to the shelter from the airport, and by this time, we thought B.G. was not going to survive the night. We finally found an after-hours clinic in Durham that would see him, although they were not avian specialists.

Lynn, Cindy (his wife), and I left Danville about 9 p.m. with B.G. Upon arrival at the clinic, he was taken back quickly and placed in an oxygen tent. We waited until midnight and then left.  He was going to be transferred to a specialty clinic by 7 a.m. that morning.

I talked to the specialist early, and she said B.G. was in critical condition.

A couple of hours later, she called with the news that B.G. had died. We requested a necropsy. He had an abscess in his stomach that had led to peritonitis. Unfortunately, the lifesaving instinct in the wild led to B.G. masking his illness. The veterinarian assured us we could not have known about his sickness. Lynn and I went that afternoon to pick up his body.

We didn’t know how B.G. spent the first part of his life, he was our good friend during the last part of his life, and we wish we could have been with him as his spirit left his body. He would have been comforted by being held by Lynn.

The next day, I received a brief e-mail from Lynn: I buried B.G. in my yard. It was a hard thing to do. He was my friend.

The corner of the lobby looks empty without our big blue and gold feathered friend. We still have several of his long, beautiful feathers that we collected through the years.

• “Like” the Danville Area Humane Society on Facebook. 
• Dean is the director of the Danville Area Humane Society.
• Critter Corner is co-sponsored by the Register & Bee and the Danville Area Humane Society. Questions or comments should be directed to Critter Corner, P.O. Box 3352, Danville, VA 24543 or e-mailed to dahsinc@yahoo.com.