04/12/2026
A few weeks ago, we stepped in to help with a transport request starting in Maryland and Philly, then up to New Jersey, where 3 birds would meet Pilots To The Rescue for their journey to a parrot rescue in Florida, and wow, what a trip it turned into.
It truly took a team. The Birdy Bunch Parrot Rescue jumped in to help with one leg by bringing the Umbrella Cockatoo to me, which saved nearly 4 hours of driving. We are so grateful for that kind of support, especially when I called Paige extremely last minute!
In total, it was about 19 hours on the road in less than 3 days. In the middle of it all, I was rear ended pretty hard and took bad damage to my car, and Paige’s husband had to go get stitches after a terrible bite from the umbrella cockatoo! It was a crazy stretch of events, but I am okay, the birds are okay, and that is what matters most. Most importantly, they made it safely to Florida!
One of the highlights of the trip was meeting the pilot who is also the founder of the mission. He gave me a tour of the plane and shared more about what they do, transporting animals to give them a second chance at life. They typically rescue dogs from euthanasia, and this was actually their very first bird transport. How cool!
Definitely a stressful and exhausting few days, but an unforgettable experience and completely worth it for these birds 🐦✈️ I’ll remember this one forever, and I made a new friend out of it!❤️
