LILIKOI (Cape Parrot)

2023 - Present

3408 Garfield Ave., Loveland, CO 80538 then moved to 724 Colt Dr., Loveland, CO 80537

Lilikoi is a 17-year-old African Cape Parrot who has lived at Avalon Aviary Bird Store for many years. She is one of the owner’s personal birds, yet despite this, Susanne Cochran showed little concern for her well-being. Lilikoi was deeply loved by the staff, forming strong bonds with those who cared for her daily. However, her ongoing health issues were consistently dismissed, ignored, or inadequately addressed by the owner, despite clear signs of illness.

The following timeline includes documented dates and observations but does not reflect all concerns or communications made by staff members regarding Lilikoi’s condition and obviously doesn't include Susanne's own observations which were undoubtedly the same as everyone else's.

** Any mention in the notes of the Parrot Care Log "disappearing" can now be corrected to "Susanne removed it from the store so that there wasn't a consistent timeline record of her neglect". She had since told people that she "discovered" what was being kept track of in the Parrot Care Log and took it home. She repeatedly denied to her staff that she took it or knew anything about it prior to firing her Store Manager in retaliation. The lack of complete and thorough details on this parrot and others is due to Susanne taking the Parrot Care Log without every date being documented via photograph.
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January 27, 2023
The Store Manager compiled a list of parrots experiencing persistent loose stool, including Lilikoi, and provided it to Susanne Cochran (owner) in an effort to get them medical treatment. Susanne dismissed the need for veterinary care and instead instructed staff to provide the affected birds with vinegar water for two weeks without a diagnosis.

October 16, 2024
Susanne sent a text to the Store Manager stating that she needed to take Lola to the vet and asked which other birds needed to go. The Store Manager reminded her that Lilikoi had been experiencing smelly, projectile diarrhea that was constantly soiling her cage, toys, the floor, and even neighboring birds' cages. Susanne’s response was to separate the store birds with loose stool, but with no space for proper quarantine, they were grouped together without any veterinary care.

December 7, 2024
Susanne moved Lilikoi’s cage next to baby birds and then abruptly left the store. The Store Manager texted her, pointing out that Lilikoi was still sick and now appeared worse, fluffed up and sleeping in the middle of the day. Instead of addressing Lilikoi’s worsening condition, Susanne focused on her own discomfort, instructing the Store Manager to find a better place for the doves because she was suddenly “allergic” to them. The Store Manager moved Lilikoi back to her original spot with the other sick birds. Susanne claimed she would take Lilikoi to the vet the following week but did not follow through. When reminded that she had made the same claim in October, she denied remembering it.

December 28, 2024
Lilikoi, still experiencing diarrhea, plucked most of her feathers overnight. The Store Manager informed Susanne, who dismissed the behavior as something Lilikoi had done before. The Store Manager insisted that Lilikoi was clearly sick and getting worse. When asked to come and see for herself, Susanne avoided the conversation by walking away and discussing the situation privately with her husband. Shortly after, Susanne finally took Lilikoi to the vet, where she was diagnosed with an infection and prescribed TMPS antibiotics twice a day for 10 days. Susanne stated that a fecal culture would be sent off for further analysis.

January 8, 2025
Lilikoi completed her prescribed antibiotics and was started on probiotics. The Store Manager notified Susanne via text.

January 10, 2025
Despite finishing her antibiotics, Lilikoi continued to have diarrhea. The Store Manager reported this to Susanne in person. Susanne's only response was to put her on vinegar water again instead of seeking further medical treatment.

January 17, 2025*
Lilikoi still showed no improvement. The Store Manager asked Susanne about the results of the fecal culture, only to be told that no culture had actually been performed.

January 29, 2025
Lilikoi continued to pluck her feathers, still had diarrhea, and finished her course of vinegar water. The Store Manager left a note for Susanne detailing her condition.

January 30, 2025
Lilikoi’s feather plucking worsened, spreading to more areas of her body. The Store Manager again documented this in a note to Susanne.

February 10, 2025
When staff arrived at work, Lilikoi was gone. A note on her cage stated that she had been taken to the aviary (Susanne’s home), and Susanne left another note saying she “might” have to go back to the vet. The Store Manager strongly agreed that Lilikoi needed veterinary care but suspected that now that Susanne had removed her from the store, she was unlikely to follow through.

February 18, 2025
The Store Manager asked Susanne about Lilikoi’s condition. Susanne admitted that she was still unwell and needed a vet visit but stated she was unlikely to bring her back to the store, where she had lived for over eight years. This was extremely concerning, raising questions about whether Lilikoi was still alive and receiving proper care.

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This timeline highlights recorded instances of neglect and inaction regarding Lilikoi’s health. The pattern of dismissing concerns, avoiding veterinary care, and removing the bird from the store to evade further accountability raises significant ethical and welfare concerns.

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