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A cockatiel who loves breaking out into track has been reunited together with his proprietor and his ‘bestie’ – a cockapoo cross canine.
Ernie has shortly settled into his old routine again home with proprietor Alison Roberts after the RSPCA issued a lacking enchantment when he was discovered straying in a Greater Manchester avenue final November. While the chatty parrot was glad to be again with Alison at her home in Great Lever, Bolton, his first goal of affection and a focus was the household’s canine, Lottie, whom he has struck a long-standing friendship with.
Amazingly, regardless of vanishing from his home in stormy climate, Ernie survived unhurt within the wild, earlier than he was picked up by a member of the general public close to a bench within the Kearsley space. Over Christmas and the brand new yr, he was cared for by one of many RSPCA’s foster carers, who captured his tuneful renditions on a telephone video.
Her footage of Ernie singing his favorite track “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands” was noticed by Alison on an area media Facebook put up – and the RSPCA was in a position to reunite her along with her much-loved chook.
“It’s an absolute miracle we’ve got him back as I thought something had happened to him and we wouldn’t see him again, it was so upsetting when he went,” admitted Alison. “Now he’s back with the love of his life, Lottie. As soon as he saw her he reacted; I let him out of his cage and he was sitting on her back and riding around. It was like old times as we’re used to him just following her around everywhere!
“He’s such a loving and attentive bird. He comes out of his cage at night and we spend time interacting with him and treating him as one of the family. We’ve had him for two-and-a-half years, it was the first time we’ve had a bird as a pet and we don’t regret it as Ernie’s got such a great personality.
“On the night we lost him, Lottie was in the kitchen waiting to go out for a wee and I didn’t see Ernie was on her back as the dog was underneath the table. I was calling for him in the nights in the days after in the hope he’d fly back in.
“When I saw the video I knew straight away it was him. I’ve bought a new cage for him as I was so upset when he disappeared that I got rid of his old one – I couldn’t bear to have it in the lounge as it was so heartbreaking. I can’t thank the RSPCA enough for getting him back to me and the person who found him. At the time I didn’t report it, but it’s clear that more people should report birds going missing as this just shows how they can be found and reunited with their owners.”
RSPCA animal rescue officers Helen Chapman and Lee Ferrans organised Ernie’s foster care after he was discovered and his transportation again home to Bolton.
Lee mentioned: “It was a really happy sight to see when I brought him into the family’s home in his cage. Lottie’s tail was wagging and her nose was right up against Ernie’s cage, while he was dancing side to side frantically, chirping away and touching noses with Lottie. It was amazing to see the relationship this bird has with the dog. It was clear that they were both so happy to see each other again. Alison was overjoyed and she also made a kind donation to the RSPCA.”
