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On May 24, 2006, The Toronto Humane Society was ordered to return Chrissy the Cockatoo to her previous owner, Elaine Menna. Judge Elizabeth Stewart ruled that Menna should be awarded custody of Chrissy, after a total of nine months of loving care with a Society foster parent. Chrissy first came to The Toronto Humane Society shelter in August, 2005, in a dog cage, with feathers missing and suffering from an open wound under her left wing, so serious that the bare white of her bone could be seen. It was at that time that Menna signed over ownership of the bird to the Humane Society, claiming that she was moving into a nursing home. According to the profile Menna wrote when she signed ownership over to the Humane Society, Chrissy had a fear of men and she would hiss at strangers when they approached her. This soon changed when the doctor came to visit her and she readily climbed onto his shoulder without any hesitation or fear. Menna also gave a list of the foods Chrissy had been made to eat. This included a diet made up of mostly cashew nuts and chick peas. Once Chrissy moved into her foster home, however, she was given a change of diet which included fruit and whole wheat bread. At the foster home she was happy and her feathers started to grow back. Her personality changed too, in that she became friendlier and far more socialized in general. She even made friends with other Cockatoos who were also in foster care; she would play with them and they would sit on top of their bird cages, eating in a group. While in her care, Menna said Chrissy had visited a veterinarian a total of 68 times, but she still had an open wound when she arrived at the shelter. After being taken to see a vet (used by the Society for bird-related issues) on two separate occasions while in foster care (once for medication and once for a beak trim), Chrissy's wounds started to heal. Menna also wrote in her notes that she would “blow-dry” Chrissy's feathers with an electric hair dryer after she gave her a bath, a practice which the Humane Society did not resume due to concerns about the effect this would have on Chrissy's skin, by causing it to become too dry. THS investigator, Tom Borscevski, was at Menna’s Lawyer’s office when the day came to hand over the bird: “You could see that Chrissy didn’t want to leave her foster mother,” says Tom, “As she put her arm out to hand Chrissy over, she climbed all the way back up her foster mother’s arm and around the back of her head, apparently so as to keep from being given back to Mrs. Menna.” The Toronto Humane Society served Menna with an Order, that same day, which would require her to take Chrissy to a veterinarian within 15 days for a physical examination. The Toronto Humane Society wants to ensure Chrissy's good health. Menna has challenged the Order in front of the Animal Care Review Board. Chrissy is now alone under Menna’s control, away from her new home and new Cockatoo family and the protection of The Toronto Humane Society. Investigator Tom Borscevski has twice tried to visit Chrissy at the address Menna gave, but has been told she is “not at home.” Related Article:
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