Pennsylvania Hospital is used to having hundreds of visitors come in each day to check up on their loved ones, but earlier this summer, a rather unusual visitor dropped in. Jeff O’Neill, senior director of Facilities Services, was walking through PAH’s Preston lobby when a vibrant green and orange lovebird suddenly landed on his shoulder. O’Neill’s figurative feathers were far more ruffled than the bird’s — he was happily perched and just as calm when he later landed on a coffee mug held by hemostasis technician Pete Schiavo.
PAH worked with Penn Medicine’s Communications team to share the story of the winged wanderer on Facebook and with the local media in the hopes of reuniting him with his family, but even after community members posted photos of the same bird flying through South Philly prior to his arrival at Pennsy, no one stepped up to claim him.
The staff at PAH purchased a cage for the lovebird — nicknamed “Petey” in honor of Schiavo — and kept him in the Patient & Guest Relations office until a veterinary appointment could be set up. After receiving a check-up from La’Toya Latney, DVM, a clinical assistant professor of Clinical Zoo & Exotic Animal Medicine, Petey got a clean bill of health from the Penn Vet team. But, still, no owner had been found. While “Petey the Pennsy Pet” certainly had a ring to it, PAH staff decided to find him a good home. Gary Holloway, senior telecom technician, enthusiastically offered to take him, and for a few weeks now, Holloway and his wife have been fostering the lovebird and hope to make him a permanent addition to their family.
“Petey’s really loving life right now and doing really well!” Holloway said, adding that they already had a large bird cage that his wife had won in an auction last year. “We were hoping to bring a bird home someday, so this has been a perfect coincidence.”
Holloway said Petey is allowed out to fly around every day. “He’ll even sit in the sink and give himself a bath, but he always comes back to my shoulder or my knee,” he said. “I certainly didn’t expect to bring home a lovebird from work, but what can I say — I love the little guy!”