For 25 long years, Sweet Pea lived a life no living being deserves—unloved, overlooked, and silently suffering.
Five years ago, she was listed on Craigslist like a discarded object. An umbrella cockatoo with plucked feathers, a broken wing, and hidden seizures no one had bothered to treat. The ad barely hid the truth: she was damaged and discarded. But to one woman, she wasn’t a burden. She was a soul worth saving.
Wendy Albright—known online as The Parrot Lady—saw the post and felt an instant pull. “It was heartbreaking,” she said. But when she met Sweet Pea in person, something extraordinary happened. The bird crawled into her arms and clung to her—like she’d just found her missing piece. “It was raw. Real. Instant,” Albright recalled. That same day, Sweet Pea went home—for good.
But rescue was just the beginning.
Shortly after arriving in her new home in Boise, Idaho, Sweet Pea began to seize. Albright didn’t hesitate—she drove across state lines to a specialist in Utah. The diagnosis was serious, but so was the commitment. With treatment, patience, and an ocean of love, Sweet Pea slowly came back to life.
Her feathers regrew. Her body stabilized. Her spirit soared.
“She’s like a different bird,” Albright says. “She’s doing 100% better—and she’s absolutely thriving.”
Today, at around 25 years old, Sweet Pea is full of life, sass, and surprising charm. Nicknamed Drama Mama for once faking a limp to score a treat, she’s become a joyful presence in every room she enters. She mimics her dog sibling, Copper the black Lab—barking on cue just to make guests laugh.
But her most powerful gift? Her heart.
Sweet Pea has an uncanny ability to connect—really connect—with people. Once, she met a young boy on the autism spectrum. Instead of her usual high energy, she softened—cooing quietly, settling beside him without expectation. “She meets people where they are,” Albright said. “She doesn’t just interact. She feels them.”
No matter how long Albright is away, Sweet Pea greets her with the joy of a puppy—dancing, chirping, and hopping with pure delight. Their bond defies words. It is healing. It is home.
Parrots like Sweet Pea are among the most rehomed pets in the world—lives tossed aside because of long lifespans and misunderstood needs. Wendy Albright is working to change that.
“I dream of a future where parrots are no longer traded or sold like commodities,” she says. She urges people to adopt, not shop—because sometimes, when you save a life, it ends up saving you right back.
“I didn’t save Sweet Pea,” Albright says softly.
“She saved me.”
