Share
News

Cockatoo Left in Dark Basement Until Sweet Woman Rescues Him and Changes Life As He Knows It

Share

People often bring animals into their lives without really considering the amount of time, money, and energy they will require. Dogs and cats can be a 15-20 year commitment, but parrots can live even longer.

Along with the impressive life span, parrots are very sensitive creatures. They take a while to adjust to new situations, have been known to mourn their owners when they pass away, and suffer from depression more than many other house pets.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

? #cookie#cockatoo#goffin#pet#bird#parrot#petstagram#instabird#sille#cute#face#summer#mtl#love#you#cutie#pie#forever

A post shared by Yazhi Yung (@cookie_the_cockatoo) on

We’ve all heard of cases where pet owners re-home their animals because they have a baby and don’t trust their pet around their child, but it’s rare that a new pet bumps an old pet to the lowest spot on the totem pole.

Trending:
Prince Harry Named in Major Sex Trafficking Lawsuit Against Rapper

One Goffin’s Cockatoo named Cookie was doing okay until his owners got a new dog. Apparently, the dog wasn’t a fan of Cookie, so the owners put Cookie somewhere else.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

That afternoon selfie with mommy✌?️? We will have some forever more memories together?✨She wants to tell to all future parrots mommy that we will be their life commitment and sometimes, we are not as perfect as we look?I know, we look pretty darn cute? But you know, a bite here and a bite there, a poop here and a poop there, a scream here and a scream there. All we want is you, because all we have is you❤️ So please, when you promise us a forever home, it will be a forever home?? Pinky promise?✨ HAHA I just realised that my forehead kinda blends with the background?❤️ #cookie#cockatoo#goffin#pet#bird#parrot#petstagram#instaloveparrots#cute#lovely#selfie#mommy#forever#home#promise#life#commitment#baby#boy#saturday#afternoon#mtl#spring#love#you#cutie#pie

A post shared by Yazhi Yung (@cookie_the_cockatoo) on

They could have put him in another room, trained their dog out of its bad habits, or worked to find a solution where no one was the loser, but instead they put Cookie in the basement.

There were no lights and no windows, and Cookie had no interaction. Fortunately, animal lover Yazhi Yung from Canada found out about the parrot’s plight and took him in.

She has several other parrots and various other critters, and was able to give him the time, space, and care that he needed to recover and really come into his own.

“To be honest, I don’t know if he thinks he’s a bird,” she told The Dodo. But he wasn’t always as happy and chatty as he is now.  “His previous owner got a dog. The dog didn’t like Cookie.”

Related:
Islamic Extremists Abduct at Least 200 People, Most of Them Women and Children

“So they just decided to put Cookie in the basement. He was in a cage — no toys, no nutrition, without lights, and without windows. It was sad. He didn’t get to choose.”

“With me, he could have a happier life and a healthier life.”

Cookie had a lot to work through, though, and the going was slow. “At first he was shy,” Yazhi continued. “He was super quiet. He didn’t care about me at first.”

“He was so scared of everything. He’d just stay in the corner. He used to bite a lot. People are like, ‘Why do you keep him?'”

“I just knew I had to give him more time. I just let him walk around and be free in the house. After a year, he started to be more curious about everything. I love to give him opportunities to see things and try things.”

“One day, he started to come near me, and I started to give him food. I think that was the moment when he started to trust again.”

Now, Yazhi is Cookie’s person. He can’t bear to have her out of his sight, and will follow her everywhere like a dog.



“He simply loves to just stay with me all the time,” she said. “When I talk on the phone, he won’t stop talking.”

Yazhi and Cookie are proof that there is life after hardship. But they also serve as a reminder that rehabilitating an animal is not for the faint-hearted, and it can take a very long time to see any payoff.

It’s difficult work, but if you ask Yazhi or anyone else who devotes their time to making animals whole again, they’ll more than likely say it’s well worth it.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , ,
Share

Conversation