Clovis was with us only 3 years, but became part of our family, part of the fabric of our daily lives. From the time we took his cover off his cage and he greeted us with "good morning", until covering him at for bed when he always said "goodnight" and when putting the front on, saying "Good night Clovis".

We have two dogs, a female cocker and a male long haired dachshund-mix. They both respected and kept their distance from Clovis. We had recently accepted another dog (dachshund) from my wifes Aunt who could no longer care for him well.

Long story short, we thought he was outside and, well, he jumped up and grabbed Clovis. He killed Clovis last night. We heard Clovis call, but he was mortally wounded when we got to him. He died in our hands.

Clovis loved us well and trusted us completely. He knew no fear and laughter was often heard from his cage, perch or wherever he was. For a few moments, we let our guard down and Clovis is no longer with us.

We will be getting another QP when we feel we are ready. The house is entirely too quiet and still without his voice ringing through.

Clovis was our first bird, but he was so very much more than that. He was our friend.

Clovis loved us well. I hope he knew how much we loved him.

I feel so guilty, knowing that he trusted us completely and we failed to keep him safe.

God Bless you Clovis. May you have blue skys, many friends to satisfy your social appetite and when I see you again, I hope when you ask me "are you a good boy?" that I can again say "I'm a Very good boy".

I'm sorry to have found this board at the time of our loss, but appreciate the opportunity to express my/our grief.

Peter & Janice

p.s. The dog was removed from our house last night, unharmed, but never to return.

Awww, I'm SO sorry for your loss! Your story made me cry, Clovis sounded very special. Don't beat yourself up, accidents do happen, and I'm sure Clovis knew you guys loved him very much.

I'll keep you and your wife in my thoughts.

Big hugs to you both.

P.S. Welcome to the forum.

I am terribly sorry for your loss.

Excuse the tears, as I have lost a quaker and 4 beautiul baby tiels the same way and it is so heartbreaking. But he is watching over you and happy at the Rainbow Bridge now. Please accept my condolences and I hope when you are ready you will find a new quaker to love as it is so hard to live without one.
Welcome to the forum.

OMgosh, Your story of your sweet baby brings tears to my eyes..I am so so sorry for your loss..Please stick around and feel free to chat with us, you are more than Welcome to stay...((((huggs)))))

I'm very sorry to hear about you baby Clovis, my thoughts are with you and your family during this time.

I am so very sorry for your loss of Clovis. I am glad you did find this forum so you could share your greif with others who truly understand what you are going through. Welcome to a forum that truly cares about you both.
I pray your hearts will heal soon.
My heart is hurting for you both.

my dear, I am also grieving the loss of my little bird who I buried ths evening. So I do understand your feelings. we're here for you. If you need a shoulder to cry on or someone to talk to, i am here.. take care of your self.

I would like to thank you all from the bottom of our hearts. Janice and I have been grieving and feeling so very guilty. It is a comfort to know that we are not crazy for how we got so attached to Clovis. He was and always will remain part of our family, now part of the family history.

I have loved and lost other pets over the years, but Clovis was quite unique. He could tell us if he smelled something he wanted to taste, he could tell us he liked it and he would call us to come spend time with him if we were too wrapped up in our daily lives.

For anyone who thinks only humans have intelligent thought, Clovis taught us that we CAN communicate with the animals and that they will actually tell us what they want and need. With a limited vocabulary they are very capable communicators.

Clovis taught us how to love beyond what we may have imagined. He was only little on the outside. He was a Giant in our lives.

Thank you all for your kind and understanding words. They truly provide some comfort for both of us.

Clovis reminded me of something I almost forgot;

"There can be no Great Joy withour risk of Great Sorrow".

I just read your post to Janice and she said what I was thinking... "Oh NO!".

We are sorry that you too have lost a member of your family. Until last night I could never have imagined how deeply we become attached to our feathered kids. Almost 50, I've felt like a silly child with the grief these last 26 hours. We will keep you and your Baby in our prayers as we remember our Clovis.

Ohh Im so very sorry you lost your precious little fella! It hurt to read your post because I can sense the Love and belonging he had in your family. It made me think too of my QP Cheeky as well...theyre small birds and things happen to them and snuff theyre gone! I know his callings still echoing through the house...and my heart is sad for you. Bless you thru all of this Im really sorry....

I don't know what to say, I'm sorry doesn't seem to do justice. I know how much pain you and your wife must be in. I AM sorry.

I thank you for keeping me and baby in your thoughts, Clovis and yor family are in mine. if you havent read the story of what happened here is the link: http://www.quakerparrots.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=28710


and the story of his loss here: http://www.quakerparrots.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=29037

your not alone here. we are all family. I have had the most incredible support from t\al of my Quaker family here on the forum as well as my hubby and my fids. at least we can all relate whether a happy time or sad. Hugs to you and your family!!

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....




This poem always gives me a little bit of sunshine when I experience grief. Please try not to blame yourself. You gave little CLovis the best life he could have asked for and we all know that you loved him. I send my deepest condolences and I will keep you in my prayers. If you need to talk, please let me know. We're here for you! <Hugs>

Welcome to the forum, though I wish it could be under better circumstances.

I cried when I read this. I am so sorry. It's amazing how fast we can get attached to the little green monsters. I can't imagine the loss y'all are feeling right now. But rest assured if you need anyone / anything, we're here for support!

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. Don't you dare feel bad about being 50 and grieving so. I will be 70 next month (though I feel 25 every day) and I grieve something terrible if we lose a dog, horse bird, even one of the koi fish in my pond. I get a new one right away because even though it can never take the place of the one lost, it can certainly make you smile and giggle again. That's how I deal with grief. You will know when it's your time to deal.

Lady Jo

Words will not take away you pain but just know there are those that truely understand..Sending hugs from across the miles...

I am so sorry for your loss - my heart is breaking right along with yours. My condolances in this time of sorrow - hugs to you and your family.

I know exactly how you feel..I lost my beloved Robbie July 9,2007 and I still feel it is my fault...I miss that lil guy so much...I hope my prayers and thoughts will comfort you.

God Bless and comfort you in this time of healing...

I am so sorry for your loss. These little green chickens have a way of stealing our hearts like nothing else.
Big hugs to both of you.

I want to express our deepest gratitude to you all. These past few days would have been unbearable without your comfort, your wisdom and your care.

Clovis claimed us as his. I am proud and pleased to have had him as my teacher.

Janice and I knew we would again adopt another QP. Although we were not sure when we'd be ready, today we went to see how we would do in the presence of QP's and plan for becoming parronts again.

Chance claimed us today. Janice was certain it would happen today. I was not sure it was not too soon. In my prayers and thoughts, I asked that we be lead to where we need to be. I also asked Clovis to show us the right one when the time was right. Not to replace him, that could never be done. But to honor how much he had touched and changed our lives. How because of him we wanted a QP in our lives for as long as we remain.

In life, Clovis reminded us of who we are. He reminded us of simple joy. He reminded us that eating is a social affair. He reminded us as we connected with him to remain connected to each other. Interdependent. In his passing, he reminded us of who we want to be.

Chance claimed us today. I'll tell you about him in the introductions.

my deepest sympathy
fly free clovis fly free!

Hello everyone Yes, finally today I can smile.

I am Janice, Clovis's Mom. Until now I just haven't had the heart to post. Our grief over the loss of Clovis has been surreal.

In addition to grief, I have been dealing with guilt. You see, "I" was the one who decided to bring my Aunt's dog into our home. The little feller has a very sad history and my Aunt, being in her 80's, was struggling to care for him.

I accepted him on a "part time basis" with the intention of eventually finding him a forever home.

We had been so very careful. On Saturdy, when Clovis had been in his cage most of the day, and we thought all the dogs, including the little hellion, were outside I started feeling guilty about Clovis, since he *always* had free roam of our home before, and opened his cage door. Peter has told you all the rest of the sad story.

Our other two dogs are well socialized with Clovis and I had begun to socialize the new dog with him. I "thought" I'd made progress.

My guilt was so strong I couldn't bear it!

I thank each and every one of you for your support and for not being judgemental. It was *very* helpful to know that this has happened to others with their babies.

As Peter told you, as of today our home is once more filled with the sounds of a fid. We named our new baby "Chance" which has special private meaning for us, and will ensure that even though our hearts are lighter with the new baby, Clovis will not/cannot ever be forgotten or replaced.

Our purchase of Chance today was a sad yet joyful occasion. I will leave it to Peter to share that story with all of you.

Once again, thank you *all* for your support and understanding.

I am very sorry for your loss. Clovis will be looking down on you and your new baby Chance.

Man that is such a bummer. I am sorry to hear about your loss. Though Stewie is not my first bird he is my first quaker and I would be devastated to lose him for he is my sanity right now. I wish you and yours the best at this time of sorrow, and I hope you do decide to adopt another QP when the time is right. I hope you are doing better. And I wish you the best.

I am so sorry I can't imagine what you're going through but please know my thoughts are with you

i'm so sorry to hear about Clovis. i hope you don't beat yourself up too bad because guards DO get let down mistakes DO happen.

I just read this post and I am so sorry to hear about Clovis. I know how you feel we lost our first QP that we only had 10 days the same way. And our dogs are dachshunds as well. But I know that it was an accident and that the dogs were not to blame either. Now, we do not let Mollie out unless the dogs are in the other room with the door closed. They all get to have time out with the family. Please do not blame yourself, it is sooo hard. I still feel bad about our first baby, but there will always be a special place in my heart for her. I will keep you in my prayers.