Disabled vet determined to find lost bird
LAWRENCE - “I never even thought that I could bond with a bird, but she's my friend,” says Rob Hamm who is dealing with the loss of his beloved pet bird, Sachi. The 2 ½ years old Australian cockatiel flew away one day in when Hamm absentmindedly took her outside with the bird on his shoulder. Hamm says two cars startled the bird and it flew away in fear. Now Sachi’s cage is empty and the disabled vet is brokenhearted.
The bird has played a major part in recovery for Hamm who suffers from a spinal injury and other issues. “There were times I wouldn't have gotten up if I didn't know I had Sachi to take of,” says Hamm.
But he’s determined to find her. He’s been posting flyers all around town and distributing her picture door to door. Earlier this month he received three phone calls that the bird had been seen around the 400 block of Lawrence Avenue. “If it had just been one person, I would have though they could have mistaken her but three separate people called in,” says Hamm.
Australian cockatiels are popular American pets and often live about 20 years. With plenty of bird feeders in back yards around town he says he’s not worried his pet will go hungry but he’s concerned a predator could get the best of her.
Still, he holds out hope. “There's still a lot of hope, someone lost a cockatiel in Florida and the bird turned up in Las Vegas,” says Hamm.
If you see the bird, you can call call Rob at 785-766-3737.