Lost Parrot Helping Patients to Speak Returned

Published: October 23, 2008 | 7261st good news item since 2003

Jo-Jo was lost from her home in White Castle after Gustav damaged his cage.

Apart from being a rare and expensive African Grey Parrot, Jo-Jo is also a “medical” parrot. Kathy Hendrick, a speech therapist and her owner, taught her two languages and Jo-Jo used that skill to hep stroke patients to learn how to speak again.

Jo-Jo is 5 years old and speaks both English and Spanish.

Neighbors spotted Jo-Jo a few blocks away. Volunteers tried to capture her but to no avail. Kathy was called and tried to lure Jo-Jo with another parrot, her brother, but that too didn’t work. Nor was she able to get any professional help.

“And I’ll tell you what; LSU didn’t help me, fire department wouldn’t help me, animal control wouldn’t help me, police department, my neighbors wouldn’t help me, but these precious people came out of their homes for nothing to help me.

My patients would sure miss him, so would I.”
– Kahty Hendrick

Finally a man dressed in an orange vest returned her her bird but before she could take down his name he was gone already

Published in Animals
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