Herbert, temporarily
Saturday, Jul 26, 2008 1:34AM / Standard Entry
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I know I talk a lot about animals, but it's because I love them. But sometimes, I think it's just fate. I have animal fate. This past weekend, I had 2 encounters with the "wild". On Saturday, I let Charlie, my goofy hound dog, out to play. When I called him back, he wouldn't come in. So, I decide to go out into the yard to investigate. As I'm walking out, he comes bounding with this black thing in his mouth. At first, I thought it was a black piece of cloth or something. Then I realize it had wings! I thought, oh no, he's killed a bird. I'm thinking, oh geez, i have to clean this up... I yell at him, and plops this thing out of his mouth, and the bird gets up and just stands there! I realized it was probably in shock from just being in a dog's mouth. I call the dogs in, hoping the bird would regain its senses and just fly away.
It doesn't move. It just stands there.
So I realize that it was probably in shock enough that it would just keel over dead after a while if I didn't do something. Plus, it was like a hundred degrees outside. So I desperately call around for a bird rescue. Of course, there wasn't really one, because, let's be honest, this was a pigeon, and many people think they are vermin. Anyway, I did finally call some pigeon sanctuary in another city that was being run by retired nuns. Apparently, women of cloth are the only ones who can find it in their hearts to love pigeons. This one nun, who sounded like she was running this "rescue" out of her house, said she doesn't take birds anymore, but that I could trap him and keep him for a few days and see if he gets better. She also said they didn't carry diseases like people thought, and this did make me feel a little better, even though I'm thinking, does she really know?
I go out to the yard with a cat carrier, thinking this is going to be easy, since the bird is still standing perfectly still there, presumably in shock. As I go to grab him (or her), he starts hopping away! Great! Not in shock! But not flying either... Since I can't just leave him hopping around in my yard where it's a hundred degrees and without water, I corner him into the little carrier, and he goes in willingly. I give him a little water, which to my relief, he drank. Further sign that he is ok. Then I call the humane society, and they give me the name of a wildlife rescue, and I drove the pigeon to the animal hospital where he is to be picked up by the lady who ran the rescue. I also name him Herbert, the bird. I hope Herbert got better and is out flying and terrorizing people as I speak.
On Sunday, after all this animal fun, we almost ran over a desert tortoise in the middle of a two-lane road. The poor thing was stranded right in the middle of the road, and he would pull his head and feet in everytime a car drove by. I don't know if tortoises can be scared, but he looked like he was. So we pulled over, picked him up (he was really big and heavy), and walked him farther into the desert, where desert tortoises are supposed to be. Considering his size, he must have been really old, and he didn't deserve to be run over by SUVs after surviving all those years. Hopefully, he stays away from the road... I do worry though...
Sometimes, I think fate just sends things your way because it knows you'll take care of them.
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