SADIE (Eclectus)

Sadie, a female Eclectus, arrived at Avalon Aviary in early 2024 along with a Blue and Gold Macaw named Bob. According to Susanne Cochran, they were being temporarily boarded for a friend who was searching for housing. Although Susanne claimed the birds would be picked up soon, the owner never returned or paid for continued boarding. Avalon’s written policy stated that abandoned birds would be considered surrendered after ten days, yet Sadie and Bob remained in the boarding area for nearly a year.

Within the first month of their arrival, both Sadie and Bob were observed by multiple staff members to have foul-smelling, runny droppings. Craig Perkins, Susanne’s husband, acknowledged to staff that “these birds are sick” and placed their cages slightly apart from the others in the boarding area. However, they remained housed adjacent to other customers’ birds for months. No veterinary care was provided. Staff recalled that they were given vinegar water, but no official documentation exists from this time, as neither bird had been formally surrendered and no parrot care logs were started until much later.

Sadie was also observed to have repeated episodes of foamy mucus coming from her mouth. These incidents were brought to Susanne’s attention—once directly when the Store Manager physically carried Sadie to her. Sadie also frequently sat on the bottom of her cage and showed signs of abnormal posture and gait, which persisted even after her nails were trimmed. These concerns were documented in photos and video and were communicated to Susanne. Despite being informed after each incident, Sadie never received veterinary care.

Early 2024 (January?)
Shortly after Sadie and Bob arrived, staff observed foul-smelling, loose droppings from both birds. Craig Perkins stated in front of staff that the birds were sick and placed their cages slightly apart from the rest of the boarding birds. Despite this acknowledgment, no veterinary care was provided. They continued to be housed near other boarding and shelter birds.

March 25, 2024
A staff note reflects Susanne’s claim that the birds’ owner would be picking them up. No pickup occurred, and no payments were made.

Spring 2024
Sadie was observed by a staff member "that she was struggling to breathe, was foaming at the mouth, was having difficulty eating and that she appeared to be frantically trying to remove the foam from the corners of her mouth and it appeared that her airways were swelling into her mouth". The staff member alerted the Store Manager, who removed Sadie from her cage, wrapped in a towel, and brought her to Susanne. Susanne gave a dismissive response, saying, “Eclectus do that sometimes,” and walked away.

May 5, 2024
Sadie again displayed foamy mucus in the corners of her mouth. A concerned morning staff member texted the Store Manager, noting, “She’s having that issue with the stuff in the sides of her mouth again.” A video and photo were taken, and Susanne was informed. No veterinary follow-up occurred.

Later in 2024
Sadie was eventually treated as a store bird and made available for sale, still without any veterinary examination. A parrot care log was started for her, but no photos of entries were taken before Susanne removed the log from the store.

Additional Observations (Throughout 2024)
Staff regularly found Sadie sitting on the bottom of her cage and noted that she walked abnormally and did not use her feet to eat. Even after grooming her nails, her posture and reluctance to perch normally continued. These issues were reported to Susanne and documented in video by staff. One video showed her laying on the bottom of the cage looking lethargic and unwell.

December 22, 2024
Susanne sold Sadie and completed the State of Colorado’s required Treatment and Abnormality Disclosure Form. She indicated that Sadie had no prior treatment or health concerns, despite repeated reports and physical symptoms observed by staff. Susanne had been shown the same photos and video that staff had, and symptoms were personally presented to her at least once in person.

February 12, 2025
Sadie’s adopter contacted the Store Manager after taking Sadie to an avian veterinarian. Sadie was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, fluid on her lungs, arthritis, and other medical issues. The adopter stated that Sadie’s abnormal gait and reluctance to use her feet were the reasons she initially brought her to the vet, which led to the discovery of her underlying health conditions.

When the Store Manager informed Susanne, she denied any knowledge of Sadie’s symptoms and claimed she would have taken her to the vet if she had known. The Store Manager reminded her, “But you did know. I brought her to you.” Susanne gave a dismissive denial and left the store.

Sadie will now require ongoing, expensive medical care in her new home—care her adopters were not prepared for due to the lack of disclosure. This contradicts the requirements of the State of Colorado's Treatment and Abnormality Disclosure Form, which is required to be provided to customers and was knowingly completed with false information by Susanne.

Fortunately she is now very loved. Her new owner has already spent thousands of dollars to alleviate her pain and her suffering but her long-term outcome is considered poor (per her vet).

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