HEARTBREAKING AND EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
I am…read moreabsolutely devastated by how For the Birds handled the care and communication regarding our beloved 6-year-old female cockatiel, Gutu.About six months ago, Gutu developed an oviduct prolapse and needed surgery. We spent around $4,000 for her surgery, and she remained hospitalized for about two weeks. When we brought her home, she was still extremely weak and could barely stand properly on her legs. We brought her back the following week and repeatedly asked WHY she was not recovering and what was causing her condition.For the next six months, it became the same heartbreaking cycle: hospital for a week or longer, home, then within a short time she would stop eating or become very sick again, and we would rush her back. We repeatedly asked for a clear explanation of why this kept happening, but we never felt we received one. Instead, we often felt blamed. We were told things like maybe we washed her towels with scented soap/detergent or that we brought her in too late when she was almost dying.We spent close to $10,000 trying to save Gutu because she was our baby. Surrendering her to Mickaboo was recommended several times, but we were never ready because we loved her and wanted to continue doing everything possible for her.On July 30, Gutu stopped eating again and we brought her back. After watching her suffer through months of going between home and the hospital, we finally made the heartbreaking decision to surrender her because we believed staying under professional care would give her a better chance to recover. The doctor specifically told us that after surrendering her, WE COULD STILL CALL TO CHECK ON HER AND EVEN COME SEE HER.For the entire following week, my husband and I repeatedly called for updates. My husband's calls were not answered. When I reached the front desk, I was told they didn't know her condition but someone would call me back. Nobody did. The next day, the same thing happened. We also repeatedly texted the number that had previously sent us pictures of Gutu. NO RESPONSE.Finally, today, Friday, August 7, I called again and was told that Gutu had PASSED AWAY WEDNESDAY NIGHT.Nobody called us.For TWO DAYS, our baby was already gone while my husband and I were desperately calling and texting trying to find out how she was doing. We only learned she had died because I continued calling them myself.I understand that veterinarians cannot save every animal, and this review is NOT simply because Gutu passed away. It is about six months of unanswered questions, repeatedly feeling blamed, poor communication, ignored calls/messages, promised callbacks that never happened, and most painfully, failing to tell us that our beloved bird had died.After six years of loving Gutu and spending close to $10,000 trying everything possible to save her, finding out this way was absolutely devastating and unacceptable. Gutu was not "just a bird." She was our family, and we deserved at least the basic compassion and professionalism of being informed when she passed away.