Public can now enjoy Struthers' man's 'prettiest birds on Earth'

STRUTHERS

A pair of paint-splotch-plumed peacocks that were originally a Struthers man’s gift to his wife have now become a gift to the public.

Chaz Sandie, 76, of Struthers, donated the birds – which he kept for four years and raised to adulthood – and their custom-built enclosure last week to Purple Cat’s Farmer Casey’s Ranch in Coitsville.

The birds – named Samson and Delilah – were a gift for his wife, Kathleen Misko, who loved their colorful feathers.

“They’re the prettiest birds on Earth,” Sandie said. “She just loved them.”

When Misko died in 2012, Sandie was left to care for the birds by himself. Though he loved having the birds in his yard, caring for them through the winter became too difficult; the low temperatures would freeze the peacocks’ water, forcing him to make as many as five trips a day to the pen to keep them hydrated. After learning of the aviary at Purple Cat’s Farmer Casey’s Ranch, Sandie decided the best solution for him and the birds was to donate them.

“I just know they’re going to make people happy,” he said.

Read more about him in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.