Dealing with an owner who neglects their bird....

[Figment]

My husband and I moved to a very small community recently and have been getting to know people in town. We had to go to the local marine/boat repair shop to get a piece for our internet (I know...lol) and the owner has a cockatoo in a cage in the store.
You can tell the owner is a hoarder and the store is FILTHY.
You can imagine what the cage looks like.
The cockatoo is in bad shape, obviously underweight and in REAL bad feather. The only food is stale nasty sunflower seeds that looked moldy. There is bird poop MOUNDED in the corner of the cage and the bird thankfully seems to live on top of the cage. There is yellow water in a dish on top of the cage and the sugar ants have made trails up the side of the cage straight to the water and are of course there are dead ones in there.
There are ants all over the bottom of the cage in the stale poop and remainder of sunflowe seeds, oreo cookies and cheese crackers all over the floor around the cage.
The birds claws are in desperate need of a trim and his beak is over grown. And he trembles all the time.
This is BREAKING MY HEART....
The other day I was in there and I had "accidently" left some of my bird treats in my pocket (Zupreem) and fed them to him as a treat. The owner acted suprised that he was eating them, stating that the bird was picky.
Then another day I "accidently' knocked over the "food" dish and spilled out the last of the sunflower seeds.
Then today I went in and told him I felt bad about spilling the food and gave him a bag of Zupreem. I told him that you could only get it in pet stores and I would be GLAD to pick it up for him while I was in town (45 minute drive) since I go every week anyways. ( I really don't care if I have to pay for it)
And then while my husband distracted the owner with questions about some boat motor, I tackled the water dish the best I could and refilled it with the bottled water I had stashed in my pocket.

I have been trying to befriend the owner and stop in to see the bird. And of course the owner doesnt want to sell him.

This 'too is incredibly sweet and he has my heart. He definatly recognizes me and turns his back to me to be scratched and them raises his wings and I rub under there. He LOVES his head being scritched.... When I feed him by hand, he sneaks his leg up there and then jumps on my hand and WONT LET GO! He doesn't want me to put him down and IT IS KILLING ME!

Does any one have any advise on how to handle this??
Any trick to try to pursuade the owner to sell me the bird?
I really don't want to call the authorities right now because we do live in such a small town and I would really like to try to get the bird.
What do I do??

 

[PortaPerch]

Got something to trade?

 

[Figment]

That is actually a really good idea.....maybe "stuff" would be a bit more of desire than $$$$.....

 

[azdesertrhino]

Got something to trade?

Made me LOL but it is true, everyone has a price or ??????

I hate hearing these stories and unfortunately there are way too many of them.

I hope you succeed in your quest to bring this bird to an environment it deserves!!

 

[PortaPerch]

How about a python? Maybe it would grow and swallow the guy?

 

[Aims]

Pester him until he gives in.. LOL..

Good luck, hope you get him into your loving hands.

 

[Conuregirl]

You are a very kind and caring person! I hope you get that bird!

 

[oled]

Investigate by asking, ...do you like your Too, is is exiting to have a Too..From the answer you will see if they like to give away the Too or what price, high or low or nothing ..we just not want the bird no more..

First facts and the negotianting I think

 

[IcyWolf]

That poor bird. I did have to laugh at the thought of your hubby distracting the guy as you hurriedly clean and refill the birds water. :54:

I can understand your dilemma. I come across this situation all the time with all different pets, not just birds. when the person doesn't know they're doing something wrong it's a fine line between educating them and insulting them. And if you don't know the man well, it may be hard to judge how he will take your advice. Maybe you could suggest he join the forum? Although this post may need to be deleted if that were to happen :09:

 

[MaraWentz]

Thanks so much, but after calling the authorities myself on a bird store that sold or traded birds for power tools and jewerly. They had all bird crammed in breeder cages, all were aggressive. The macaws tails were broken off to fit. the Amazons heads were touching the roof of the cages, and he had many wild greys (who he got them, I have no idea). We called authorities and they went in and investigated to say they couldnt do anything, because he provided fresh food and water. Good luck though.

 

[Figment]

That poor bird. I did have to laugh at the thought of your hubby distracting the guy as you hurriedly clean and refill the birds water. :54:
:09:

It was actually funny.....I honestly felt like I was doing something criminal! WE did get the giggles when we got back to the car!

I went and saw the 'too today. He was happy to see me. He got all fluffy (as much as he could with the feathers he has) and started shifting his weight from foot to foot with his wings slightly open. Then he started grumbling stuff I couldnt understand....
Then proceded to make a purring noise at me when I was scratching and then was tasting (licking) my hand while I was rubbing his chest.
It BLOWS me away how sweet this bird is! This is the first interaction I have ever really had with a 'too and I love him!

Maybe the owner will get sick of me stopping by and just tell me to take the bird. Or at least take the money I have offered him!

Until then, I will continue to act like a common criminal and sneak contraband bottles of Aquafina (ya know...the GOOD STUFF lol) in every other day or so at least. (better than what he has been getting, but I can't get there every day )

I have met the owners son a few times and we get our internet service thru him.....maybe I can try that route. Maybe he can convince his dad that the bird needs a new home with me!

 

[ann]

"I will continue to act like a common criminal and sneak contraband bottles of Aquafina (ya know...the GOOD STUFF lol)"
LOL
You could offer him lots of nice stuff and buy him a bird book in the meantime? keep doing what your doing, show him how much the bird likes you, offer lots of money and new things tell him nicely about your birds and how to care for them, ask why he wont sell him and come up with a better reason to sell him. good luck and keep is posted!!!

 

[ann]

any news on how he's doing?

 

[KBEquine]

Thanks so much, but after calling the authorities myself on a bird store that sold or traded birds for power tools and jewerly. They had all bird crammed in breeder cages, all were aggressive. The macaws tails were broken off to fit. the Amazons heads were touching the roof of the cages, and he had many wild greys (who he got them, I have no idea). We called authorities and they went in and investigated to say they couldnt do anything, because he provided fresh food and water. Good luck though.

When I was in law school, I tried to help a couple horses whose owner bought grain (but locked it in a trunk & never fed it to them). The people who rented the farm where the horses lived, fed them hay they'd bought & made sure they had water.

When the SPCA was contacted . . . they said so long as there was grain & hay on the property, they couldn't do anything.

I did an independent study class in school & my paper was on this exact issue.

And it is as frustrating now as it was then.

OP, I wish you luck & am glad you have found a way to help this 'too, although a good end result is still in the future.

 

[ann]

its so sad we don't have better laws protecting our animals. Land'O Lakes dairy cows are treated horrendously, the case was brought to court but nothing was done . At least we have some animal regulation laws here, their are some countries where you can get away with anything .
any updates?