The Moment an Animal Learns It Is Safe.
There are moments in animal cruelty response that stay with you.
For our Emergency Response Manager, one of those moments began with a rooster who was extra feisty and hard to handle.
The case was a cockfighting seizure. AIR was called in to assist the City of Irving Animal Services with the care of over 350 gamefowl. To the average person, a task this large with a bunch of untrusting birds would be too much to wrap your head around. But to our Emergency Response Manager, she knew exactly what to do. Arriving with an extensive history of proper husbandry for these majestic birds she got straight to work!
Meet Stewy
One rooster in particular had earned a reputation.
His name was Stewy, and he was not an easy bird.
He was ornery. He was aggressive.
But our Emergency Response Manager took her time to gain his trust and was able to handle him.
After being carefully removed from the cage, he was held close. Days later, something remarkable happened. The next time his cage door was opened, he walked toward the door for a greeting.
He had begun to understand we were not there to hurt him. He was safe. He was receiving attention. Someone cared.
Stewy became a reminder for our Emergency Response Manager of something seen repeatedly in cruelty cases: animals have personalities, preferences and feelings. Neglect and abuse can make them fearful and defensive, but safety and consistent care can begin to change that.
You can see it in their body language. You can see it in their eyes. And sometimes, you can see it in a rooster walking toward the person who came to save him.
Witnessing this interaction changed the way many people working with this group of birds view roosters and their ability to come around when they know you are safe. Stewy and his friends went on to some of our bird sanctuary placement partners.
What YOU Can Make Possible
When an agency calls AIR, they may need expertise that isn’t readily available within the agency itself.
It may need help understanding animal behavior.
It may need assistance developing a plan.
It may need experienced responders.
It may need a network of qualified rescue organizations.
And it may need someone who can look at the entire situation and help determine what is safest and most appropriate.
Our new Emergency Response Manager position allows AIR to provide that expertise with greater consistency and speed.
That matters because emergencies don’t happen on a convenient schedule.
An agency doesn’t necessarily call at 5 p.m. when everyone is finished with work.
The call may come at 11 a.m.
It may follow an email sent at 4:30 in the morning.
It may involve dozens of animals.
It may require an immediate answer.
Having this dedicated role on our team means AIR is building the capacity to respond when the need exists—not simply when a volunteer happens to be available.
That is an important milestone, but it is not a replacement for the volunteers who make AIR possible.
It is an investment in the entire response system through coordination of volunteers, working with agencies and helping create structure that allows a team to respond safely and effectively.
And sustaining that position takes community support.
Through North Texas Giving Day, donors have an opportunity to help AIR continue building this capacity.
Your gift doesn’t just help one animal.
It helps create the expertise, coordination and readiness that can reach many animals across many cases.
For our Emergency Response Manager, Stewy remains a powerful reminder of why the work matters. The animal who once scared people away eventually walked toward the person who opened his cage.
That is the transformation AIR exists to help make possible:
From fear to safety.
From neglect to care.
From barely surviving to finally having the chance to trust again.
And your support helps AIR be there for the next Stewy.
Through September 17, your gift will be matched up to $10,000 thanks to Muff & Real Musgrave. Give now to double your impact!