On our Facebook page last Tuesday, a Napa Patch reader posted an unusual call for help.
"I found someone's lost parrot. What do I do?" pleaded Tracy Edge Stegers.
One reader, Amy Slayter Riley, suggested the bird could be chipped. "U could take him to the local vet and let them check," she wrote.
Another friend of Stegers, Oregon resident Lindy Foster, suggested Craigslist. "You can advertise it there, and just say it's a parrot and ask them to describe him (size, color, etc)."
"I've been on Craigslist," Stegers replied. "I'm in touch with the Humane Society, and they are waiting for someone to call and say they lost it. Then they will call me. Many people have lost birds on craigslist, but none that match Jack."
Intrigued, we contacted Stegers about her story. "He was in my backyard so I went out and took some photos of him and talked to him," she told Patch.
"I went in the house and he flew behind me, landed and walked on in. He talked to me as he began to explore. He climbed up my bedside table, and started pecking at the waterline of a water bottle on my nightstand, so I got him some water."
Stegers is reluctant to publish her pictures of the bird, however, because if anyone is trying to find him they'll probably have photos of their own.
"I don't want to show any pictures to the public. if there is an owner out there they will have a photo of their bird and be able to prove it is theirs. I would be so upset if a false owner claimed him just because he is valuable."
The thirsty bird soon had a home of his own - a laundry hamper - and Stegers began to call him Jack. "It's just something to call him for now," she said. "A friend had joked with me that I should call him Jackpot she knew I didn't want a bird and was trying to be funny.
"Jack seemed appropriate. That or Oscar. It's not easy being green you know."
If you've lost a parrot, whether or not his name is Jack, you can reach Tracy Stegers by leaving a Comment on this story, and we'll facilitate.
Or call the local Humane Society and leave a message, they've promised to tell Stegers about any reported lost parrots. (Suggestion: Make your call directly to the Napa County Animal Shelter, at 253-4382, and leave a message - Napa Humane's phone tree is inhumane.)
Kelly Tracey, supervisor at the Animal Shelter, suggests calling them for any missing, or found, animal. "Dogs, cats, guinea pigs, livestock - we do lost and found for them all." She also suggested contacting veterinarians, or listing lost and found pets on the Napa Valley Register, or calling KVON for their "Pet Patrol" feature.
Truthfully, there are pictures of Jack on Facebook, but only if you're a "Friend" of Stegers. It's an example of how the online community has its own ecosystem, hopefully one close-knit enough to find a home for the parrot that landed in Napa.
UPDATE: A little over an hour after this story was posted, reader Eileen O'Neill Guerard told us she thought she knew the family that owned the parrot, and put Tracy Stegers in touch with them. The result? "Jack" is really "Mambo," and a happy reunion resulted. We'll have more photos and details soon!
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