A Surrey woman with a heart for feathered friends is on a quest to reunite one found in Sunnyside Acres Urban Forest with its owner.
Kim Waite said she met the budgie during a recent visit to the Surrey Animal Resource Centre, and is confident someone out there is feeling its loss.
“It is so friendly I know whoever lost it gave it lots of time and love and attention,” Waite told Peace Arch News in an appeal for help.
The budgie, an adult male dubbed Petri by SARC staff, was found in the South Surrey park on Sept. 17. As per the centre’s protocol, he was put up for adoption after 96 hours.
According to his adoption profile, Petri is social and “quite the character.”
“He loves hoping around his cage and singing songs. He is also quite the explorer and loves to find ways out of his cage. Throughout the day you can find hoping from perch to perch on swinging on his ladder. (He) will need some help feeling more comfortable about being handled.”
Waite, 59, said she knew in a heartbeat that the little guy was special.
“When I saw how the little bird responded to humanity, i knew that somebody must be crying for it,” she said. “The first thing that little bird did… I put my face right into the cage and the little beak came over and did a little tickle on my nose.”
Waite, who already has two rescue birds at home – a 12-year-old budgie and a three-year-old chicken – said she would welcome Petri to her flock “if I was 10 years younger.”
As well, “I don’t have any family to pass all my creatures down to.”
Waite’s efforts to locate Petri’s owner have included an appeal on her Facebook page.
To cover off those who may not be computer-literate, she also took out a ‘found’ ad in the newspaper, and on Wednesday (Oct. 4), posted signs around the urban forest.
“It would be so great to get that little bird home,” Waite said. “I’ve been doing everything I can think of.
“A lot of people, it’s possible they don’t have hope that these little things can be caught or found once they escape. But once in a while…”
The resource centre is located at 17944 Colebrook Rd. To claim Petri, or for more information, call 604-574-6622.