Meet
Shellie Hochstetler
Making a Difference
Shellie Hochstetler is the soul of H.E.A.R.T. Cockatoo Ranch. With a drive for learning about animal behavior, coupled with extensive knowledge and experience, there is nothing she will not do to create the best life possible for these birds.
Shellie lives with her husband and several other personal animals of her own, including dogs, horses, pigs, geckos, and more.
Some people have dubbed her the “cockatoo whisperer”, however she always laughs at this, knowing what’s she accomplishing is not magic, but a dedication to behavior and a passion for providing a high-quality life for the birds in her charge, including a good diet, time outside, creating friendships, and fostering environments that promote birds behaving as, well, birds.
One of her most noted areas of special interest are cockatoos who struggle with self-mutilating. Shellie has an incredible success rate for putting self-mutilating behaviors into remission and getting to the root of the problem.
“We are responsible for what we have captured. When we know better, we should do better.” – Shellie
Birds at Cockatoo Ranch…
Angel
Umbrella Cockatoo
Female
Ezra
Sulpher-Crested
Male
Can be visted currently at Casa La Parrot
Halo
Lesser Sulpher-Crested Cockatoo
Female
Keira
Moluccan Cockatoo
Female
Puffin
Triton Cockatoo
Female
Roxy
Umbrella Cockatoo
Female
We Believe…
in second chances
Birds come through our doors for a multitude of reasons. We work hard to create the right environment for them to be set up for success: whether in preparation of finding their new homes, or, in some cases, to become permanent residents with us.
in always learning
No matter how much we know (or think we know), there is always more to learn. We strive to not only stay educated ourselves, but to allow access to to resources and learning tools for everyone. From medical, to training, to behavior, to diet, there is always something more to learn for the benefit of our birds.
in providing high qualities of life
H.E.A.R.T never stops when it comes to creating the best possible quality of life for the birds in our care. We provide a high quality diet, appropriately sized cages, foster friendships within species, provide ample enrichment, allow them to be in outdoor aviaries in the warmer months and lean on the knowledge of incredible avian vets such as Bird & Exotic Animal Wellness Center & Dr. Scott McDonald (to name a few).
In working with others
While we want to take in every bird that comes our way needing help, it’s just not possible or realistic. We partner with other reliable shelters whenever possible. And, although we are not set up for large-scale fostering, do ask for help from time to time from trusted individuals for transports or fostering. In turn we do whatever possible to help our neighboring shelters and individuals. As we know, it takes a village.
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