Rescue Rover

Linda Fortune Author of Regal: An Intimate View of One Magnificent Feline

PAWS, a discovery of warm and caring assistance.

Welcome,Continuing with the bird rescue, I’m sure that you can understand that my heart was beating too. Experiencing the presence of this little injured bird, her inner presence through my connection with her eyes, brought out much tenderness within me and I wanted to be of help. Having made the decision to do something, I immediately wanted to secure her safety in case there was a predator lurking around. I got my small cat carrier and proceeded to pick up the little bird, which cried out in fear and possibly pain, and placed her in the carrier. I also placed the water and sunflower seeds in with her.

Upon making the call, a PAWS receptionist answered the phone immediately and was very warm and reassuring. I felt an instant comfort in having a living, responsive human being on the other end of the line who was engaged with me. It felt so good not to be alone in finding help for my bird. Upon hearing about the situation, the receptionist calmly asked some questions and gained some knowledge from my assessment of the bird’s condition.

She commented that they had been receiving a number of birds into the clinic with what appeared to be similar in injuries. She said that often birds will hit the glass of a window, are stunned, and can then be easily pounced upon by a feline that is in the vicinity. If this be the case, they would be concerned about an infection due to the bacteria on a cat’s claws and, of course, they would be concerned about what damage there was to the wings. Tail feathers would grow out again. She asked where I lived and invited me to bring the bird in for an assessment and rehabilitation if possible.

It was the receptionist’s warmth and receptive manner, giving me much hope, that influenced my decision to drive the sixty-five miles north through the heavy Seattle traffic to the PAWS clinic in Lynnwood. On one level I knew that the bird was badly injured and there was probably little hope of saving her. On the other, if there was a chance, I wanted her to have the chance to fly again.

With little bird in hand, I headed north.

Next entry: My experience at PAWS.

With blessings, Linda