Before there was Prego Dalliance Sanctuary, there was simply Prego.
In 2012, we walked into a pet store with no experience caring for parrots. Out of all the birds there, there was something about Prego that drew us to him. He seemed sad and lonely, and we just fell in love with him.
We didn't know then how much this one bird would change our lives.
Prego was our first parrot. We had so much to learn, but he quickly became part of our family. He didn't ask for much, he simply wanted to be included in our lives.
He loved movie nights with us. He loved going outside. Most of all, he seemed happiest just being near his family.
Looking back now, with all the experience we have gained caring for parrots over the years, we believe Prego was much older than we realized at the time. We don't know his true age, but we believe he may have been more than 20 years old.
He was an old soul.
Six Months That Changed Everything
We only had Prego for six months.
At the time, we knew very little about parrots. We didn't know what signs of illness to look for. We didn't know what was normal and what wasn't. When something seemed wrong with Prego, we didn't understand what was happening.
So we started learning.
We learned about parrot nutrition. We learned about proper care. We learned about their environment, their behavior, and their medical needs. We asked questions and searched for answers because we wanted to give Prego everything he needed.
Eventually, Prego passed away from what we were told was a neurological condition.
Six months doesn't sound like a long time.
But those six months changed the direction of our lives.
The Emptiness He Left Behind
Losing Prego left an emptiness in our home.
We had spent those months learning how to care for this incredibly intelligent, emotional animal, only to lose him just as we were beginning to understand his needs.
But all of that knowledge didn't disappear when Prego did.
Neither did the love we had learned to have for parrots.
Eventually, the loss that left such an empty space in our lives became the beginning of something much bigger.
We realized there were other birds who needed someone willing to learn about them, care for them, and give them somewhere safe to go.
Then Came Pepper
Our first rescue was Pepper.
Pepper was completely plucked when he came to us, and he was a grumpy old man.
He wasn't Prego, and he wasn't supposed to be.
Pepper was his own bird, with his own history, personality, and needs. Caring for him began teaching us something that would eventually become fundamental to Prego Dalliance Sanctuary: every rescue bird arrives with a story we may never completely know.
Our job isn't to change who they are.
It's to understand what they need and give them the opportunity to feel safe again.
Pepper became the first of many parrots who would eventually come through our doors.
Prego Dalliance Sanctuary
In 2014, Prego Dalliance Sanctuary was officially created in Prego's memory.
What began with one bird grew into a commitment to rescue, rehabilitation, sanctuary, responsible rehoming, and parrot education.
Over the years, PDS has helped more than 100 parrots. Some needed new homes. Some arrived with medical or behavioral challenges. Some needed rehabilitation. Others needed a sanctuary where they could simply be allowed to live their lives safely.
Each bird has taught us something new.
And every one of them can be traced back to Prego.
Prego's Legacy
Sometimes we think about how different everything might have been if we hadn't walked into that pet store and noticed the lonely bird who captured our hearts.
We wish we could have had more time with him.
But we also understand now that we needed those six months.
We needed them to learn.
We needed them to understand how complicated parrots are.
We needed them to discover how much these animals would become part of our lives.
And ultimately, we needed those six months to create Prego Dalliance Sanctuary.
Prego never got to see the sanctuary that carries his name. He never met the birds whose lives would eventually be changed because of him.
But his story didn't end when we lost him.
It continues with every parrot who comes through our doors.
It started with one bird. His name was Prego.