FEATHERED FRIENDS Bird in the hand

A robin found his home and seems content not to leave.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Best friends are often said to be found in the strangest places.
The Pernotto family found their flying feather-clad friend huddled beneath a tree in Struthers in poor health 10 years ago.
Now Petey, a wild robin saved from certain death a decade ago, is a member of the Pernotto family -- singing, flying and hanging out with the dog, Benji.
The caregiver: Andrea Pernotto, who is certified in backyard wildlife habitat, recalls that her uncle found the small creature, which had not yet opened his eyes and had no feathers. He brought Petey to her for care.
She said the bird was taken to a veterinarian, who advised Andrea and her parents, Ronnie and Tony Pernotto, not to release the bird at that time because there was no chance he would survive.
Andrea Pernotto took the bird home and began to feed him a mixture of smashed worms in potting soil to ward off bacteria. Her mother could not deal with smashing the worms, so she fed the bird moist dog food instead.
The Pernottos bought a large birdcage and other essentials, such as a topical solution to get rid of bird lice.
Begins to sing: Soon Petey adjusted to the new environment, opened his eyes and began to entertain the household with singing. Andrea Pernotto said the time eventually came when she had to teach Petey to fly. She placed him on her hand and moved in a sweeping motion. Petey began to fly short distances and eventually mastered the skill.
"The intent was not to keep him here, but to get him on his feet and release him, because I have done that with so many others," Andrea Pernotto said. "But he imprinted on the family, and after that, there was no way he was going anywhere."
Andrea Pernotto said that once Petey learned to fly, windows were left open in the sitting room, where he would fly around freely but never would leave. Instead the bird made his way everywhere except through the window.
Andrea Pernotto said Petey will now sit on the piano or on a family member's shoulders and sing while the piano is being played. Petey also plays with his toys on the floor and enjoys chasing a rolled sock that Ronnie Pernotto throws into the air.
Ronnie Pernotto said Petey has taken a liking to the other animals in the house. The family had a dog that took ill not long after Petey arrived, and the bird continually sat two feet from the dog throughout its final days. When the dog died, Petey did not sing for a week.
Balanced diet: Petey still enjoys his balanced diet of mealworms, earthworms and crickets. Andrea Pernotto also has designated a section of the basement where Petey can brush up his hunting skills by catching spiders.
Andrea Pernotto's interest in caring for sick and injured animals began during her childhood, when she would bring home injured animals to nurse.
Her love for animals is obvious with one glance at the family's back yard, which looks like a local wildlife sanctuary, complete with feeders, shelters and heated birdbaths.
Andrea Pernotto found another small bird -- a goldfinch with a foot deformity -- in the back yard about a year ago. She is nursing the bird back to health and, at this point, it also shows no interest in leaving the Pernotto home.
jgoodwin@vindy.com