i need some help

[taniya91]

i have worked at a place in St. Louis MO for almost 8 years now as a bird and mammal keeper ...i had my own bird for almost 15 years before he passed away (cockatiel). At my place of employment i have been trying my best to care for our birds but my boss has made a new rule that we are not allowed to touch the birds EVER unless giving a tour and its the stupidest thing I've ever heard!
my love, louie developed some picking an minor plucking issues in the last 5-6 years and since this rule was placed upon us about 1 and a half years ago i feel as though his picking has gotten worse. he has had a small wound in the crevice of his left wing for many years that will heal, then he picks it back open again when he doesnt feel like he is getting enough attention. me and a few of my coworkers break the rules when the boss man isnt around and shower louie with effection...but many factors have brought me to the point that i would like to leave my job (sooner rather then later) and i cant leave louie i just cant.... i was considering offering my boss a decent sum of money for louie but i dont know how much to offer, he isnt in "good feather"... other then the small wound (about the size of a dime or penny) he also has a patch on his chest about the size of a quater or a bit bigger that is bald and the feathers on the wing with the wound are all arranged in a weird way (ill try to get pics next week-i only work weekends).
louie is my cuddle man and we use to talk and hang out all the time but recently my boss has made us start doing a crazy amount of tours so now i only get to interact with louie about 20mins a day (while at work) when i use to do so for hours...id let him sit on a step stool in the kitchen and let him pick out what we were going to feed the other animals...and id let him try bites of everything (fruits) as i was chopping it up
my coworkers get frustrated with me and louie too sometimes because they'll give louie a peanut and ill say "why are you giving him a peanut, louie doesnt like peanuts" and they'll reply "yes he does he eats them all the time" and when they give it too him he throws it down, to which they insist he is only doing it as to not prove me wrong

i dont want louie's cage JUST him what do you think would be a fair offer?
my boss is a wealthy and can be a selfish man so this is a longshot but its one im willing to aim for, i do have a bird vet that i use to take my cockatiel to and that would be louie's first stop

thank you for your time and sorry for my rambling

 

[taniya91]

oh and louie is in his late 20's

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

What do you know about Louie, such as what kind of bird is he? How long has he been there? Also, what kind of place is this.... Is it a sanctuary, a zoo, a commercial business, a research facility, or .....?

It is so lovely that you love Louie so much and want to have him home with you. It sounds like would love to spend more time with you. Is confined to a cage all the time now? Do you think he will be ok if he becomes a solo bird in your home?

Maybe the owner guy would be happy to let Louie go if he is a self-mutilator.

It would be helpful to have a little more info to figure a price.

 

[taniya91]

oh wow i feel so stupid now haha
louie is a moluccan cockatoo i have no idea how long he has been at the aquarium (at least 15 years) he actually hates the other birds and screeches when they are near him (like when the glide down from their perches)...all the birds get placed on perches for public viewing for the day but that is done solely with "sticks" we cant actually handle them with our arms/hands. its kind of like a zoo just not accredited basically we take in neglected abuse unwanted and illegal pets but unfortunately we dont even provide adequate care most of the time because our boss wont give us the funds to do so (which is why i want to leave) my boss also has a "policy" that basically states no animal is allowed to leave once they come to the aquarium and has only broken that "policy" once with a rabbit that was getting "beat up" by another rabbit...i know there is no way in the world he'd give me louie for free but i have hopes that if i offer him money then he'd be more open to the idea online ive noted that moluccans go from $800 into the thousands so im just curious as to where you guys think louie would fit in that bracket

 

[weco]

I have the same questions as Wanna.....

If you have a friend (outside of the store...and one who is good at proving a point & holding their ground) who nobody knows, that you could enlist to help, he/she could come in, while you're working, to look at birds...they would notice the open sore, comment on it & the ruddy feathering & the fact that the bird has been noticed for a couple of years.....then offer 25% of the asking price.....if they balk at the price, point out that leaving the bird without veterinary care is neglect & animal abuse in St. Louis. The store will probably either take the bird off sale or make a deal with you, probably with your friend picking up the vet bill......

 

[taniya91]

i dont work at a store and no animals there are ever for sale....many people have commented on louie's condition and my boss simply says he is already being treated (which is a lie) ....like i said above its more like a zoo just not accredited

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

Wow. I dont even know the owner but I know I don't like him. Sounds like he makes it seem like he is rescuing birds, but is really using them for a commercial enterprise and doesn't give the birds what they need.

So lets break Dow. The barriers to getting Louie out of there.
Owner policy to hold imprison these birds forever even when there is a better home waiting. So what will he do to replace the services Louie provides sitting on a perch all day? Doe he have another bird to fill the spot?

Does he know Louie is a mutilator? If it gets worse or his wound gets infected, it will be costly to the owner to pay vet ills and then he'll have a bird with bandages or something to stop the picking, which won't look good as a snowbird to his customers.

Is there someone in the owners family or staff that could help soften him up to letting Louie go to a good home? Another point could be that Louie doesn't get along with other birds happily.

Listen....there is always a soft spot, "a way in" to a person like this guy.

Does he pay for these birds? If not, I don't think you should have to pay him at all, especially since u will be buying him a cage, toys, vet visit, etc.

Lie if you have to! It is worth it to get Louie out of there. Tell him a vet was on a tour a few weeks ago and was concerned about Louie and said Louie seems like a really old bird and in need of medical attention. Tell you would be willing to take him home to rehab him and retire him and would take over cost of care.

If all else fails, tell him u can't stop thinking about Louie and that you respectfully request he break the rules for this self mutilating bird that is clearly feeling tortured by the other birds. Tell him u can afford two hundred. If he says its too low, ask him how much would be acceptable.

These r just some brainstorming ideas.

 

[taniya91]

well there are only 5 birds there but there are hundreds of fish, reptiles and mammals as well but no one would really be able to fill louie's perch if you will the other birds are not even close to being social and will bite the crap out of anyone who gets too close (the other birds include two blue and gold macaws an umbrella cockatoo and an amazon) ...and no he doesnt pay a dime for the birds, but i am willing to pay for louie to get him out of there!
...... louie has seen the vet (my vet actually) one time about 4 years ago because he was bleeding so bad from his wound and i recommended my vet so if i told him the vet came in im sure he would simply call the vet to check out my story ...he is a wealthy man so vet bills aren't really an issue for him the problem is he just chooses not to take the animals until they are very ill or are seriously injured

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

Also, don't do anything to get yourself in trouble with the owner. There is definitely a way to get him to let Louie go. Weco see it too. Hmmmmm, maybe we could send in a couple of crazy bird people like us from a rescue, as visitors for a tour, and address it professionally. They could say they were touring and are very concerned because when they were there years ago, this sam bird had open wounds too. I dont like to advocate lying, but when dealing with neglect, abuse, exploitation, you bed I'll advocate to save.


I was also thinking that if the vet that cares for the birds (if there is one) could talk to the owner to say the bird is not thriving and is clearly not healthy and should not be living in that setting or he will get worse.

 

[Pinkbirdy]

AHH! Short of you grabbing him and taking off [Im sure you would be on camera] There has to be another way. You could try this approach. Saying you have cared for this bird and have developed a relationship with him . [say nothing neagative to the owner] and you need his help .( Helps a big word ] its worked in some of my situations. So anyways you need his help because you need this bird in your life and you want to know from him how to get it .What price or situation would you have to do. You Can Do This Dont take no for an answer . Keep saying there must be a way!!

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

Also, what makes the guy tick (besides money). Is it looking good to others, feeling like an important man, getting people to fear him? Does he like kids, have family, hobbies, causes that he funds, old folks, etc. Something about him will give you a glimpse into that soft spot for an opening.

 

[weco]

Taniya, how well do you know your vet? If you are know him/her well enough, you might discuss the situation with them & get their opinion on what you might be able to do. If you get animal control or any rescue agencies involved you could very well lose the opportunity to get him.....do you know any police officers, if you know one or have a good friend that knows one, you could still do what I suggested in my previous post.....you just need someone in an authority position to help you.....

Good luck.....

 

[MikeyTN]

All I can say is wow, what a jerk.....Is there not any place you can make a compliant about his condition??? So at least he would get him treated, since your leaving there anyways, if he won't let you take him, at least get his wound treated.

 

[taniya91]

im attaching a picture of louie from about 2 years ago...before he picked a bald spot on his chest...we get complants about the condition of many different species of animals on a daily basis and nothing is ever done so i am 99.99999% sure people complaining will do absolutely nothing. i have not tried talking to my boss because he does enjoy intimidation and control but i am willing to try. the only problem is i will have to wait until he gets back in the country and is actually at work (he travels a lot and is rarely at work even when he is in the country)

 

[WannaBeAParrot]

Taniya....check hour message box.