Bird Is The Word For San Mateo Shelter With Rare Adoption Offer

SAN MATEO, CA — The Peninsula Humane Society is no stranger to finding forever homes for a variety of pets, but when a stray Golden Pheasant was brought to the shelter after being found injured last week, it provided its new handlers with a unique opportunity to find this bird a new owner.

Lord Pheatherington, whose name was inspired by the popular Netflix series "Bridgerton", is believed to be the first Golden Pheasant to be placed up for adoption by the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA. Although the shelter accepts all sorts of animals — foul included – officials from the humane society said that Lord Pheatherington is indeed a rare bird.

The Golden Pheasant was brought to the facility on April 13 after being found in the front yards of someone shelter officials are calling a Good Samaritan. Lord Pheatherington was discovered injured and unable to fly, which promoted the person to bring the bird to the shelter.

“When Lord Pheatherington arrived at our shelter he was missing most of his tail feathers and several of his primary wing feathers were broken, rendering him unable to fly,” Peninsula Humane Society spokeswoman Buffy Martin Tarbox said. “Based on his injuries, we believe he may have been attacked by another animal but escaped. He’s a very lucky pheasant.”

Lord Pheatherington is expected to recover and gain his feathers back within a few weeks time, Tarbox said. The shelter decided to put this unique feathered friend up for adoption after one came forward to claim him.

While at the shelter, he has enjoyed the company of some female chickens, Tarbox said. But an ideal long-term home would be a place where Lord Pheatherington could be kept in an outdoor, predator proof, fully covered enclosure and another Golden Pheasant flock, or even a group of female chickens.

Human Society officials are committed to securing him in a home where he will be kept as a pet, not a source of food., Tarbox said. Anyone interested in meeting and possibly providing a home for Lord Pheatherington can may call PHS/SPCA at (650) 340-7022. His adoption fee is $20.00.