piñita • april 8, 2008
piñita's story
4.08.08
piñita is a seagull, and her story is all too common. she thought she was picking up dinner, but instead she has been doubly pierced through the beak and wing by a stray fishing lure with four very strong hooks, and this has bound her mouth to her wing. she was trying to pull the hook out of her wing despite her predicament. she actually lifted off the ground and flew when i first approached her. amazing girl!
i am sure the people who were fishing never thought about losing a lure, nor what it could do to other animals beyond fish.
piñita will be going to the bird rescue first thing in the morning. she will have to spend the night this way until they open. i know i cannot pull the hooks out; they have barbs which prevent it and i don't have the right tools, nor the experience. i can't imagine how she must feel right now.
piñita, i believe in you and admire your perseverence. you're going to fly again; you are too strong not to.
4.09.08
the ibrrc took the hook out of piñita's beak first thing in the a.m. they need to anesthetize her to work on her wing, but she is going to be fine.
4.10.08
something else about finding piñita. when she began to fly at first, of course she was afraid, so i said a prayer for her safety and for her to know to trust me. she then landed and began to walk around. when i got close to her, her flock--previously nowhere in sight--flew overhead and lingered for about a minute. then they flew on. it was very moving.
when one member of their flock suffered, they all suffered. likewise, when our fellow creatures suffer, we all suffer. when people use animals for food, clothing, entertainment and research, they suffer unimaginable pain and cruelty. then, ultimately, we all suffer. this is the theme of the compassionate movement i am called to. for more on this subject, please read the world peace diet, a compelling and profound book by dr. will tuttle.
4.12.08
we received a report today on piñita's progress! she is doing great, and is in an aviary with a couple of other seagulls and a pelican. the damage to her beak was significant, damaging tissue and exposing some bone. she will be on antibiotics for about two weeks, and they will have to debride the dead tissue from her beak regularly to prevent an infection.
when i feel what she must have felt, i imagine a 4"-5" hook that was about 1/8" in diameter going through my gum past my front teeth, and hooking around through the roof of my mouth. excruciating pain. now there are big holes and they have to keep peeling away the tissue until it finally heals. what an ordeal from something we can all prevent: please don't go fishing!!
(you may also be interested in sir eddy's story!)