Today I was barely awake when Younger Daughter detoured from her trip from J’s school to work and thrust an injured ibis into my arms. She had spotted it lying in a driveway en route. Ants had already been attacking the poor creature.
I placed it in a box and subjected it to a bit of peace and quiet – often that is all stunned birds need for recovery. That didn’t work, however, so I then transported it to CROW (The Centre for Rehabilitation of Wildlife) in Yellowwood Park about 10k away. They do a marvellous job with no official funding (surprise, surprise) and only the goodwill of dedicated volunteers and of caring public to sustain them.
Sadly, the hadeda had a broken leg and two broken wings (must have been hit by a car) and the humane option was to put it to sleep. At least we tried.
Yesterday our neighbour requested my help to get her Staffie to the vet – he was listless and disoriented. With such a bulky dog it was a mission to get him into the car, out into the vet’s consulting room, and onto the table. It was of no help that he was energetically chewing his lead at every opportunity, with excellent prospects of severing it completely.
Anyway, after a thorough examination, he was pronounced fit and frisky. Whatever had affected him earlier (a bout of missing his recently deceased master?} was over. Today he has been his normal self.
You lose some; some you win.
Colonialist's Blog 
love the pun in the title. very sad about the bird but great about the dog… you’re a good soul Col!
LikeLike
For the loss, at least you tried. For the win, thats great 🌺
LikeLike
Both true. I still wish, though, that the bird …
LikeLike
That’s sad about the Hadeda. Glad there was nothing wrong with that feisty dog though!
Hadedas had a habit of commenting on our rehearsals years back when we were playing quintets and sextets at a friend’s house. They had no cause!! We played nicely!
LikeLike
Maybe that was their version of, ‘Bravo; bravissimo!’
LikeLiked by 1 person
Maybe, but it sounded more like: “aaargh! Aaaargh!” 😀
LikeLike
Or. If they had taken off, just their usual,
‘I’m scared of heights! I’m scared of heights!’
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, that’s right… the Vertigo Birds.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So glad that the Stafford was able to shake himself out of his sad state, though I can completely understand. Sometimes all you want to do is lay down and not move until bad times have gone away.
Poor Ibis. She’s flying through ever-lasting clouds now. You did well, Col, helping these critters and their (temporary) caretakers.
LikeLike
Win some lose some indeed. But you have to try every time, right?
Bon week-end mon ami.
LikeLike
I do wonder how people who turn blind eyes to such things live with themselves.
And to you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A shame indeed. But there are people like you and your friends. Compensates for the morons. Ciao.
LikeLike
Poor bird, but at least it had a more dignified end than being chewed by ants on the roadside…..a good deed indeed💕😊
LikeLike
I am so sorry he couldn’t be saved, though. I kept hoping …
LikeLiked by 1 person
well done for trying to help..the first was not a failure because the bird died knowing that someone cared enough to give it help…..
and the second one ..I dont think your neighbour could have managed without you…so all in all a very good days work
LikeLike
It is often too easy to find excuses for not getting involved in these ways – and the excuses are a bad habit in need of being abandoned. You’re late at work. So what? You have ‘more important’ things to do. Are they really?
LikeLike
Some days death wins, other days, life.
I buried my other old man on Wednesday – now it’s just the young one – until he, too, goes into the clearing at the end of the path…
LikeLike
Another sadness to be countered by the happy memories, and of making more of those with the young one.
LikeLike
Lovely to read this. It’s an old trick of dogs: terribly ill on the way to the vet and fit and frisky once they arrive!
LikeLike
In the case of our dogs they were telepathic, even though the word vet was not uttered in their presence, they would disappear until the idea of taking them had been abandoned. Subterfuge was always necessary
Sorry for the poor bird.
LikeLiked by 1 person
One needs to screen the very thought-processes, sometimes!
It gets quite scary on occasions. A dog who moved in with us from belonging to Elder Daughter and family (now in UK) would wait at the car eagerly every time a visit to their in-transit home was proposed – otherwise, no interest.
This would hold good even if I had decided to visit on the spur of the moment and there had been no discussion or other clue.
LikeLike
They are much cleverer than we give them credit for
LikeLiked by 1 person
He has it to a fine art!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are now officially my HERO!
LikeLike
*blushes*
LikeLike
C.R.O.W the best place on earth for injured wild life, big or small. I wish I had visited there more often.
LikeLike
They do a wonderful job. I am glad that young R’s school actively supports them.
LikeLike
and you treat all with kindness and concern. A true hero of which our world needs more. Thank you.
LikeLike
It comes of good early training, I suppose. If only everyone had that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
We need more people like you who are actively engaged in caring for animals. They need every spokesperson they can get and every care person.
LikeLike
Many people think we are a bit ‘strange’ for favouring animal causes over human ones. At least the human needy can plead their own cases – animals can’t.
LikeLike
Exactly!
LikeLike
Thank you for picking up and caring for the injured bird.All living things deserve some dignity. I hate to see an injured animal suffering a people just keep going on by. It makes a difference. Even if it’s a little bird.
Molly chews harnesses and leashes when stressed. The neighbors’ dog is a bit disoriented probably. Here’s the latest story of a local one is here: http://abc13.com/news/future-of-murdered-mans-dog-still-in-limbo/1220991/
Animals are always at such risk: in environments they don’t control or understand.
Thanks again for helping
LikeLike
It infuriates me when an animal lies injured by the roadside and nobody stops – and then, if one causes a slight traffic obstruction in going to its assistance other motorists are outraged even though they can see the reason. Not being two or three minutes later is more important to them than that life.
I do hope that dog found the sort of caring home his loyalty deserved.
LikeLiked by 1 person