NEWS

Rocky's cage fight tale has happy end

CAGE fight: Watch commander Pete Yeoman with Rocky and owner Sandra Hewitt

by Paul Britten

A parrot called Rocky left his owner in a flap after getting a claw trapped in a metal bell in his cage.
The African Grey got his  claw stuck in his toy and screamed the house down when he couldn't free it.
Owner Sandra Hewitt tried desperately to help him then phoned the fire service in desperation. A crew from Ashton made a mercy dash to Sandra's house with trepidation - as Rocky hates men and often swears at male visitors. Fortunately for them, Rocky behaved himself and they were able to use a pair of small wire cutters to release his trapped leg. Rocky was then taken to a vet who was forced to cut off part of his injured claw Pete Yeoman, watch commander at Ashton station, said it was a bizarre rescue. He said: "We've rescued dogs down sewers before but  never a parrot with its leg stuck. We had a bit of a laugh and a joke about it but it is one of our humanitarian duties to come to the aid of an animal in distress. 'Apparently the parrot doesn't take to men and isn't used to seeing them but it didn't say anything to us it didn't swear anyway" Owner Sandra said she was confident Rocky would bounce back to his usual cheeky self. Mother-of-two Sandra. 66, a retired social worker from Richmond Street, said: "He is a real character but he gave us all a scare. It was quite frightening really "Rocky was screaming and shaking and his leg was twisted right around. "He does not like males. I do not know why but they say parrots take to one sex or the other "The fire service arrived and it was quite embarrassing. There were four men here with cutting equipment. But they did a great job and I want to thank them so much. Rocky is going to be fine." Sandra, who has had four- year-old Rocky for two years. said he became trapped as she lifted a blanket over his cage so he could sleep. Sandra said: "The bell is his favourite toy He was playing and the claw just got stuck in one of the holes. "He just could not get it out. He must have been in real pain. "I'm just glad he didn't swear at the firemen."