She is more than feathers and wings.

More than a cage or a name on paper.

She is Rio,

the gentle sound of chirps that calm my heart

when the world becomes too loud.

Her sweetness melts my worries,

her innocence lifts my spirit.

She has been my companion in silence,

my joy in sorrow,

my sunlight on grey days

when I struggled just to see through.

What we have is the result of many years,

years filled with love,

with learning each other’s rhythms,

with building trust that didn’t come overnight.

Ours is not a bond that can be replaced or replicated.

You cannot just “get another.”

There is only one Rio.

Only one who knows my voice,

only one who responds not with instinct but connection.

She is not a pet.

She is part of my emotional foundation,

a constant in my life

when everything else has changed.

And she needs me just as much as I need her.

I am all she has ever known,

When She suffered a terrible wing clip as a baby,

I was the one to give her confidence to be happy again.

To lose this bond

would be to unravel a quiet kind of healing

that only she and I understand.

So I ask not for special treatment

only recognition of something deeply human:

that love, when nurtured over time, becomes

irreplaceable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every day with Rio is a gift I treasure forever 

Petition Summary 

I’m stranded overseas in Croatia and facing isolation, with little daily support beyond my bond with my beloved Quaker parrot, Rio. She was hatched in Brisbane, came to me from a breeder as a baby, and has been my closest family ever since.

 

Without her, I cannot imagine returning home to Australia.

I am fully committed to every safeguard: veterinary testing, documentation,  quarantine at a licensed Australian zoo.

 

🙏 Please sign and share to help me bring Rio home. Compassion and biosecurity can coexist, one parrot deserves a chance.

 

 

Rio is safely tucked into me where she feels most at home and loved. If you look closely, you can see the effects of a cruel wing clip she suffered at the hands of a breeder when she was young, leaving her with impaired balance during flight. Her coordination and flight will never be the same as a bird who was allowed to grow freely without such harm, and she would never survive in the wild. 

A Plea to Bring Rio Home

I’m stranded overseas and suffering, please help me bring Rio, my beloved Australian-born Quaker parrot, back home to Brisbane.

Rio isn’t just a pet she is my family, my emotional support, and the closest bond I’ve ever known. She came from a breeder where she suffered unnecessary trauma from an uneven wing clip that permanently affected her balance and confidence. As a result, she was unable to fly properly during her early years.

 

Although Rio can now manage short flights, her movement is still unsteady, and she tires quickly, making her vulnerable and unable to survive outdoors. When I brought her home, I gave her the love, patience, and safety she had been missing. Over time, our bond grew stronger than I could have ever imagined. She found trust, and I found a companion who means everything to me.

 

Now I find myself in Croatia, having experienced periods of isolation, with days where I had little daily support beyond my bond with Rio. I don’t speak the language, my partner has been working long hours, and I often feel emotionally drained. Rio has been my lifeline, but I cannot imagine returning home without her, and she cannot return without ministerial discretion.

 

I am narrowing my request and already made the heartbreaking decision to rehome my Indian Ringneck, who is more independent. But Rio is different. She is deeply bonded to me.

 

Despite being hand-raised, microchipped, healthy, and kept indoors with only safe supervised outdoor time in an enclosed cage/carrier for sunlight, there is no standard import pathway for Quaker parrots. This is devastating, especially when cats, dogs, and even racing pigeons are permitted entry under strict quarantine, often posing greater risks.

 

I am not asking to bypass the rules. I am asking for the chance to meet them.

 

I am prepared to meet every safeguard:

✅ Full veterinary testing and health screenings

✅ Behavioural and veterinary documentation

✅ Pre export home Quarantine + Quarantine at a licensed Australian zoo with a Class 7.9 AA permit

 

 

If Australia can allow the regulated entry of higher-risk animals, surely there is room for a compassionate, risk-managed solution for Rio, one single, domesticated parrot with inability to survive in the wild.

 

We are two souls bonded by love and trust, we've shared so many beautiful memories and I respectfully ask for the chance to share many more .

As I remain in Croatia, my mental health continues to decline, making our return not only a matter of compassion but of necessity. We deserve the chance to stay together.

 

🙏 Please sign and share our petition. With enough voices, we can show that compassion and biosecurity can coexist, under extraordinary, humane exceptions.

 

💛 Thank you for reading and supporting us

. Your kindness means the world.