10/31/2026
Rescue, at its most cellular level, is built of one thing: helping animals through life and death. While these may seem to be opposites, they are actually deeply interconnected parts of one whole. Everything that lives must die. A safe, peaceful, loving death is as important as a safe, peaceful, loving life. Giving the latter to these birds is easy. The former is not.
When you have as many birds as we do, the losses quickly feel exceptional compared to the wins. It is so easy to take them as personal failures. And it is so hard when, for reasons only the universe knows, birds you are extra connected to make their exit one after another.
It would be a lie to say that all of the connections I have with the birds Moose’s Flock takes in are created equal. Just like with humans, relationships vary depending on the individuals. All of our birds are cared for with every ounce of love and respect we can offer, but there are always some who form deeper bonds with me than others.
This year, and especially these last few months, the goodbyes have been with pigeons I am particularly connected to. It began with Cello in January and (so far) has ended with Gris today. Mo is a loss that feels as close to losing Moose as anything I’ve experienced since. May to today has been brutal.
But this is rescue. It can’t be only about the parts that feel good. Finding a way to cope with grief and loss is paramount to surviving this life. People who rescue are resilient, either naturally or as a survival mechanism. But resilient people also hurt. And this year has REALLY effing hurt.
All that to say, normalizing death and grief is a balm. Dia de Los Mu***os is here and the ofrenda is a tradition I love and respect. There are many celebrations (yes, celebrations) of death across the cultures of the world that are beautiful, healing and resonant. The road to acceptance must pass beyond fear, so here we go. This post honors all the beautiful creatures of Moose’s Flock that flew onward this year. I won’t say they are birds we lost, because we didn’t. We knew them, we loved them and they will always be here.
💀 ofrenda
