The story begins with a Peacock from London called Pepe, he needed a home and we jumped at the chance to help him.  I adored the idea of the colourful displays that would entice any child to explore.  The magic fairy tale bird that would inspire us all came unexpectedly with a friend called Colin.  Colin is a small but mighty rooster and he was along for the ride too.  We settled them into the barn with Murph and Smurf our Pigmy goats, Blue, Casper and Jack, the ponies, then at last after the long journey we went to bed. At dawn, all was quiet as I approached the barn.  It was oddly silent, no calls for food.  Each animal was still, looking sadly down at the ground where Pepe’s body lay cold.  Colin looked at me, I felt his loss and we decided to bring him inside as he clearly needed comfort.  I am unsure how animals feel death, they certainly show almost human emotions but at the very least giving him comfort would help us along through the sadness of that morning.  We do not know why Pepe died, maybe it was the move, shock, we were uncertain of his age but what we do know is he had a very good friend who I would like to get to know better.   

Colin settled in the house making us laugh at how confident he is.  He enjoys sitting on laps, gentle strokes and settling up high on mantle pieces observing his new household.  Thula and Colin have an understanding after one quick flurry and a peck.  To those who are new to a house rooster, here are some vital pieces of knowledge from me to you – blackout blinds! brilliant blackout blinds will fool your rooster into having a lie in.  They also like to sleep high so maybe clear the mantle pieces and a book shelf just in case.  Finally a fire and a warm atmosphere will soothe your rooster in the evening.
So with a journey that began with a Peacock has turned into an unexpected and at times hilarious adventure with a Rooster.  

To our delight Colin proved himself to be incredible with Iris and other children so he is now part of our therapy sessions at The Little Explorers Activity Club

We are currently raising funds for Animal Assisted Therapy 2020, if you would like to donate here is the link – https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/animalassistedtherapy

Any help no matter how small it seems to you is deeply appreciated and money well spent. We can offer a tailored approach to vulnerable individual families and their children providing a unique therapeutic environment for them to learn.