Hi, I'm Cow, and I'm new here! I'm a transfer from the humane society since I had extensive special needs and care requirements. I tend to be a pretty messy eater due to my deformity but I sure love meal time. I was pretty stained and covered in gunk so I got a fresh start with a sanitary health groom from the vet. Then a nice volunteer lady got me my meal time t-shirts so I won't have to feel dirty no matter how much fun I have during meal times, they work great!
Naturally4Paws and Costco made sure I have enough of my favorite foods for the first 2 months! I'm seeing a specialist in Seattle about my teeth possibly needing an expensive procedure for my health and safety of my tongue. I originally was found likely dumped outside as a kitten by a nice human who did everything they could to take care of me until their living situation and financial situation changed. They knew I needed specialty care and a procedure done that could cost thousands so gave me up for my own future. Luckily I'm loving it here at the sanctuary and even already fitting in with the special needs dogs too! I really enjoy the volunteers I've gotten to meet who give me extra attention and pets, and sometimes I even try to lick them. 
Since I have a deformed short jaw that is permanently locked open it means I need extra care with my grooming, eating, drooling and of course dental health also which is why I'll be seeing a specialist. Everyone says I'm a really special sweet boy and that the village of kind humans will take great care of me so I wanted to say hello and thank you to my village of angels! 
I know I'm going to need all of you! 

*Our sweet Bella has since crossed the rainbow bridge* Bella's body out-aged her young spirit and we had to say our goodbyes. Bella showed that elderly dogs always matter and have so much love to give. Thank you to everyone who helped love and support Bella and gave her the best last few years possible. She is now running like a puppy again with us in spirit.

​I was a young dog once, and had a family once. As I grew older, my family became more impatience with me and my aging bones. The more my bones ached from aging the more I hurt every time they touched me. I wish they would have pet me gently with love. Still I was always happy to see everyone, I loved being with people. I was a good girl who only barked when I got excited. Why did you debark me? Why did I need my vocal cords surgically altered?

They said this procedure was to make me quieter, I guess you didn’t enjoy my natural Husky personality. What possible side effects could this have? The rougher you got with me the more I tried to tell you it hurt, I tried crying… nothing came out, I tried growling…nothing came out. I’m sorry I nipped you when the pain got too much. Is that why you got rid of me?

I got passed around on craigslist, I’m not sure how many times. They were fighting over me! I was a “free” dog after all. I ended up in another yard, no shelter, no bed. It was cold and rainy, I just wanted to go inside. The new family knew they couldn’t provide what I needed and realized I wasn’t what they expected, too old, too quiet… go figure. Finally, they agreed to send me to Melt My Heart Rescue and Sanctuary.

Melt My Heart wasn’t sure what condition I was in, but took it slow. They treated me with care, and volunteers came to brush me and visit with me. I was finally inside a house, finally around people who actually wanted my affection! Melt My Heart didn’t have a bed for a bigger dog with joint pain like me, so what did they do? They let me on THEIR bed! I also have taken residence on their couch during the day whenever I want.

Melt My Heart had to legally track my original owners down and fight to transfer me over officially. That was the first time I was glad my family didn’t want me anymore. I was glad to be at Melt My Heart, I really liked that they had a lot of bones and turns out I love squeaky toys too! I went to the vet because I would try to avoid one of my hips, and my ears being touched. I also throw up my water a lot. Melt My Heart gave me great food with probiotics and glucosamine but felt it wasn’t enough. The vet confirmed I had yeast and another bacterium in my ears, so I now have treatment for that. The vet also told them that I do have trouble with one hip which needs the glucosamine + 2 types of daily meds. One med is temporary while the other starts to work. Then I’ll just be on one medication so it doesn’t hurt my organs over time. As for the throwing up water, the vet explained to Melt My Heart that it’s a symptom from the debarking that creates throat irritation and there’s nothing they can do except ensure I stay hydrated enough. I’ll always throw up water sometimes, but they don’t even mind!

​I’m so glad I have a forever place, for real now.

Here at the sanctuary we also take in more than just parrots! Many of our outdoor flocks came to us either from disability, deformity, deficiency, or owners who wanted to ensure they would not be “culled” go to “freezer camp” or the likes, purely wanted to ensure they’d live out their lives in a spacious environment filled with free ranging large runs, lots of exploration areas and lots of scraps, YUM!
 
Although the entire flock is not suitable to contribute in the same ways, they actually all fit right in here at the sanctuary and have taken up a “job” to help out! How do they help the sanctuary in exchange for their comfortable life? Many ways!
The first and most obvious is eggs, but not all of the flock can provide eggs, nor do we require them to! We do not put lights or stimulate them to lay year round or even daily. They choose when and if they would like to lay their eggs.
 
Aside from eggs the roosters, chickens, ducks and turkeys all provide a very very important job for all of the other pasture herd animals. They will often ensure that less fly or any other bug eggs don’t survive long enough to hatch. Not to mention you may see them riding on the other herd animals backs or hopping on top of them while they are laying down to ensure they are mite, tick, flea and over all bug free! We adore all of their personalities and letting them have a natural life to retire to. 
 
Currently we are closed for any additional chicken intakes. We have a very large elderly flock that we are dedicating our time to letting them have a peaceful retirement and building a new bigger area for.  

*Update* Sparra the cockatiel has since moved on and crossed over, she will be welcoming all future hearts with open wings. We loved and adored you Sparra. 

​Sparra the cockatiel
Sparra is a sweet and feisty little girl who had a bad start followed by a few lucky breaks! Sparra is a fighter and has a will to survive. Although her background is largely unknown other than being dumped in Los Angeles and left to fend for herself, she has fared well.
 
This was largely thanks to a good samaritan who swooped her up off the streets and took her in. They took care of her for as long as possible and provided her a sense of home for the first time until they were no longer able to provide for her needs.
 
Wanting to do right by Sparra they made due and held out until they found the perfect place for her where they knew she’d be safe, loved, and all her needs would be met no matter what came up throughout whatever life she had left. This meant with a heavy heart she was surrendered to the sanctuary. Luckily though she has  been able to be upgraded to a lovely cage, has made friends with Cricket and Skittles, and has bonded with the humans here as well!
 
Sparra now has the sanctuary life of her dreams and a family at heart in Los Angeles who still checks in and does what they can for her! She’s happy to pose extra pretty when she knows her angel mom rescuer is checking in on her from a distance 😉 We’re happy to have Sparra as part of the sanctuary crew! 

​Cricket the Meyers Parrot
 
Cricket is the sweetest most mellow natured boy you could ever meet! He’s got a zest for life, loves food, snacks, things to chew up and the ability to get around despite his ‘little feet’. Cricket was dumped by an owner who decided he wasn’t flashy enough for him and he wanted to get a “better bird”. Little information was left on Cricket and he was left to fend for himself.
 
Cricket was running around the floor being chased by other birds and attacked, they’d ripped out his wing and flight feathers leaving him no real escape and bite off all his toes. He was unable to climb, balance and grasp normally, nor was he able to fly at the time. We immediately took him in in a heartbeat. He’s been a ball of love ever since and loves to get pets and sit on your hand or shoulder.
 
We’ve provided special cage accommodations that allow for him to walk around on flat feet since he cannot grasp, and hammocks under areas he could potentially fall from. He has flat perches and plenty of activity. He loves to greet us every day and is happy for a head scratch or two. He’s a handsome man estimated to be about 22 years old and will live out the rest of his life here at the sanctuary for whatever that time may be, whether it be another year or another 8 years or more! We’re happy to provide him with love and empathy for the rest of his life and ensure he has no more hardships in his future.   

Skittles the rainbow lorikeet
​
Skittles is our sweet little lorikeet girl who likes to show off all her feathers to her best friend Jack! Jack loves Skittles more than anything and we’re so happy to announce that Skittles will be staying at the sanctuary and will be helping Jack recover and vice versa.
 
Skittles was raised by conures being fed a diet that would kill a lorikeet. A straight seed diet is not ideal for ANY bird but is deadly for a lorikeet who are nectar and fruit eaters. Lorikeets have an iron storage disorder in which all the iron they eat throughout their entire lifespan stores up until it’s enough to kill them.
 
Luckily, we were able to take Skittles from a young age and there should be no long-lasting effects, we hope. She did communicate with other birds and have body language more in tune with conures so meeting Jack was a strange spectacle at first. Over time though Jack has shown Skittles to play and communicate and eat like a true lorikeet. In exchange Skittles has shown Jack patience and compassion and friendship that he’d previously not found in other birds. Bald or not Skittles accepts Jack and Jack adores Skittles. They cannot live in the same cage together as they have different medical needs and on-going care but live side by side and get time out together all the time.
 
Skittles is a playful girl who likes to do circles, dance, take baths and make rattle noises. She is a beautiful girl who will curl up in our hair and spend just as much time with us as she does with Jack. 

Pippi & Squall





​Pippi was just a baby white bellied Caique. She had the sweetest face and eyes, along with the biggest baby bird cries! All of Pippi’s siblings found a home straight from her breeder but she was left and thus sent to a store. There she started to wean but along with this entire process began to pluck. Plucking is fairly unusual for Caiques let alone one so young. The shop desperately tried changing cages, location, foods, handling, and more. They however did not want to take her to the vet yet. We contacted the owners of the shop directly and told them that if they did not want to foot the vet bill and care we would take her in. Initially this was met with resistance, more time was what they thought she needed, but after drastically increasing her plucking to a near bald body in less than a week they called us up and agreed.
 
We took her in from there and went in to see our trusted vet. The vet gave her a clean bill of health and suggested that it was mental with this little one. We then tried routines, lots of attention, distractions, training, and much more. The screaming never ceased but the plucking did. We eased her onto a healthier diet, along with supplements and fresh foods. She was VERY picky and did NOT want to get off straight seeds. This little character would run all the way across a house on the ground screaming if she heard a bag rustle thinking she was getting more seeds! Needless to say after an extra-long gradual time she finally switched to the better diet. Now you can crack a bag of anything open around her, even seed, and she won’t even want it! Talk about a change, right?
 
Still Pippi continued to scream. As you know we already had other birds in the sanctuary and she got to interact more with them after her initial isolation period to be extra sure on health and illnesses and the vet’s approval. Still the other birds couldn’t stand how insistent and pushy Pippi was. Personal space was not in Pippi’s vocabulary, nor was respect. She had not learned proper bird to bird interaction and the current sanctuary birds were not willing to take the time to help her learn. They quickly rejected her one by one.
 
Pippi began travelling with us and going on more outings. Still she obviously missed having another bird around even after all this time. We took her on meet and greets with other Caiques but even then they all rejected her, that is until we found Squall locally near us. Squall was a slightly older male white bellied Caique who perked up around Pippi and immediately seemed to bond with her. They played together multiple times and even when Pippi pushed Squall gently corrected her. Every time Pippi came home from a play date with Squall she was happier, quieter and more content. Her destructive behaviors were nonexistent. We had to have a long difficult talk as to whether we would BUY Squall to live with Pippi? This is a difficult decision especially with very limited funds. In the end, we were able to work it all out and Squall did indeed come to live with Pippi.
 
Squall is a character, he’s strong but gentle and loves to hang upside down like a bat. He teaches Pippi how to enjoy life and they’re inseparable. Pippi has become more mellow and Squall has become more playful.
 
We’re glad to have Squall here and Pippi has since been kept on a very monitored diet and feather condition. She’s still growing in a lot of feathers and improved quality but has made drastic changes. We’ve also been able to provide them with the play stations and space they need to co-exist happily as well as the socialization to be handled, groomed and remain friendly.

Legato!

Legato was actually a pet store bird! His original owners got rid of him because treating him would cost more than getting a new one at the pet shop. He is a blue, male, Indian ring neck. This little guy was sitting all by himself in a shop and when we approached he looked in awful shape. The shop said he was “fine” and that he wasn’t underweight nor was his being cold to the touch and acting shut down a problem to them. Not all pet stores get the vet treatment necessary for birds or other small animals and to them Legato was AGAIN not worth enough to pay for the expensive vet work.

Shockingly though they would not surrender Legato to us and instead insisted on full price! We feared for the state he was in and that he couldn’t wait another day so ended up paying for him. Later we took his vet records back and although we did not get our money back (especially since we wouldn’t return the bird) we did take action for Legato.

Our amazing vet was able to see Legato immediately after taking him and although he was weak we were able to get enough blood to run a panel of tests. Just from the visual and physical check up’s our avian vet found he was severely underweight, starving even… his feathers were in poor condition, he was weak and oh so cold. Legato was neglected, that much was apparent.

The blood results found that he had one of the highest white blood cell counts our vet had ever seen, so much so she almost thought it was a mistake. He was so dire that he was put on immediate broad-spectrum antibiotics, we didn’t know how much time he had and as many bird owners know, they can be fragile and be gone very quickly. Legato was one of the lucky few that the meds worked quickly, coupled with being taken in by us in a warm environment and lots and lots and lots of fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, and pellets.

To this day Legato has not and is not a picky eater! He was just purely thankful for the bountiful meal and all the new foods to try. The first bowl of mixed fresh foods we gave to him, he devoured. Legato recovered quickly from illness, and slowly over time from malnourishment and starvation. His feathers began to blossom into the beauty we knew was deep inside. His trust has taken even longer but slowly he has bonded with living near Saya and made a friend, and now follows us around content as ever to be part of a flock, and a family.

​Legato loves all foods! He also loves to chew and appreciates any wood toys being sent in. He’s a food dipper and enjoys making his food nice and soggy before eating it and sleeps in the oddest position with his legs spread eagle in the corners of his home. He’s a character who has begun to chant “what are you doing?” and “good boy”. He is indeed a very good boy, and a handsome ring neck.  

Saya!

Saya is a white bellied caique who was given up by her owner. Her owners ran into unfortunate circumstances and were no longer able to provide her with the level of care she needed. Our little Saya is an absolute sweet heart around 6 years old and has seizures.

Did you know seizures can be fairly common in certain species? Even regular grooming is a common trigger! Saya’s regular grooming would require her to see an avian vet specialist who had to put her under anesthesia for each appointment.

Saya was taken into the vet and given full blood work panel check-ups. She passed every health test with flying colors with no underlying health issue showing on her blood work as to the cause of the seizures. Saya quickly took to her life as the boss of the sanctuary and likes to spend her mornings out and about. We did quickly learn though that she also gets motion sickness!

Since her arrival she’s quickly formed a bond with us and has begun to work on therapeutic tolerance training and keeping calm in new situations and scenarios. We’ve been able to expertly build on her ability to cope with situations without pushing her past the limits or stressing her to trigger any seizures. Saya has come a long way from her days falling off her branches, even though we still keep a hammock in her cage just in case she needs a soft catch from her perch at night. She even gets small mini grooming sessions with us privately and although it’s not a full grooming session, it’s a great start to reducing her going under anesthesia any more than necessary!  

Saya’s personality is certainly to run things, but she’s the biggest cuddle bug as well. She will dance for an audience (and for a walnut) and runs around the home like a puppy, preferring to speed around on the ground than to fly. She is fully flighted and has made leaps and bounds in the few short years she’s spent with us so far. We look forward to having Saya as a member of the sanctuary to show all the other birds how to settle in!

Saya’s favorite toys are squeaky balls, the bigger the better!

Her favorite treats are blackberries, and guess what! The aviary got their very own thorn-less blackberry bush that was “magically” planted on the side of it for extra delicious treats. We foresee Saya spending a lot more time sun bathing and indulging.

​Follow Saya and the others through updates on our Facebook!