What Do You Do When Your Child is Obsessed With Animals?by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 30 Jun 2009 01:12 PM My preschool daughter is obsessed with dogs. Fortunately, she hasn't taken to eating off the floor on all fours, but I know the thought has crossed her mind. My daughter has big plans to own a real dog one day, but for now she has to settle for being the "mother" of 34 stuffed ones. Yes, 34. No, I'm not proud of that number. And, no, I am not her enabler. That's my mom's role. Despite the obnoxious amount of furry four legged friends that take up residence in our home, I'd gladly take them and all of their shagginess over the hairy creatures a Colorado mom discovered in her teenage son's room earlier this month. According to reports, the mother unknowingly harbored 53 baby birds under her roof. Actually, it was her 15-year-old animal obsessed son, who was trying to run a bird sanctuary in his bedroom. Reports say the birds were mostly barn swallows and sparrows, ranging in age from a few days to a couple of weeks. According to the boy, he went on a bird hunt and took the baby birds from tree nests and the underside of neighborhood bridges, where swallows and sparrows like to build mud nests in small corners. The teen tried to keep the birds alive. Unfortunately, he didn't succeed... that's where the mom comes in... literally. Apparently, the boy's mom discovered her son's bird collection shortly after 40 of the babies perished in his room. Can you imagine the smell? The mom contacted authorities and currently, 13 of the baby birds are recuperating at a Boulder wildlife center. As for the bird-obsessed boy he was reportedly ticketed on suspicion of cruelty to animals and interference with birds and fowl, and is set to appear in municipal court later this summer. If found guilty, the teen faces a fine of up to $999, and one year of probation for each count. No word on what punishment the boy's mom doled out, but I think it's safe to say that his summer won't be nearly as fun-filled as his friends. For the record, the boy never gave police a reason for his decision to kidnap the baby birds, though the manager of the Greenwood Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, where the surviving birds are recovering, said she didn't think the boy intentionally hurt them. What would you do if you child decided to turn his/her room into an animal sanctuary? Related Articles: Why Parents Should Say "NO" to the Real Life "Wonder Pets" Children's Picture Books about Animals Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevantparenting tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Discuss this article
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