Ever thought of an air freshener as being deadly? They usually aren’t, at least not to humans. But for parrots, even something as common as a scented candle can be fatal. Their respiratory systems are very delicate. With that said, Peaches the cockatoo must be a candidate for an Iron Bird decathlon somewhere. He’s one tough hombre, considering what he lived through. Peaches was found living inside an autobody paint garage with fumes everywhere. It’s a miracle he survived.

When JoAnn Hickman of St. George, Utah, heard there was a bird living in such dangerous conditions, she had to see if there was anything she could do to help. The day she showed up at the paint shop, Peaches looked sick. No big surprise there. All those fumes were taking their toll. What she didn’t expect, however, was how eager the store owner was to let her take the bird. Here’s why. For starters, cockatoos aren’t for everyone. The store owner had purchased Peaches at a pet store for $1,800 (please adopt from a rescue instead!), only to realize after the fact that sometimes living with a cockatoo can be like hooking up an air horn to your doorbell. ’Toos can be loud. Really loud. Especially when they’re not happy.

So Peaches’ family decided to give him away to a friend. When that didn’t work out either, Peaches came back home, then was banished to the paint shop. The day before JoAnn visited the paint shop, a stroke of luck mixed things up (whether good or bad luck depends on whose point of view). Peaches bit the store owner on the lip. To be fair, this bird was not in a good situation. He was sick, cold, and miserable. Still, a parrot bite is nothing to take lightly. But for Peaches, it ended up being a way out. JoAnn showed up looking to help Peaches get into a better home and the shop owner was more than happy to oblige. If she’d come any other day, JoAnn feels the owner might not have relinquished Peaches.

JoAnn couldn’t care for Peaches long-term, but she was determined to find him a better life. So she placed him in foster care with several different friends for a time. Then space opened up at the sanctuary and Peaches got to come live at Best Friends. Now he’ll have all the time and space he needs to breathe easy and start over.

Story by David Dickson
Photos by Gary Kalpakoff

To help support Peaches' care at the sanctuary, please consider becoming his sponsor!