We would like to introduce Penny, a very special new pelican, to our flock. BUCKLE UP, because this is a long but memorable tale!

Her story begins in late August in Shuniah, Ontario, where the Bissonnette Family was surprised to find a large pelican standing on their back porch.

The young pelican was injured, weak, and filled with parasites. Deb Bissonnette immediately contacted a local bird rescue who came by to examine the bird and administer an antiparasitic. For five weeks, the young pelican, whom the family named Penny, stuck around while she regained her strength thanks to fresh fish fillets and daily swims in the lake.

But as winter approached, it appeared that Penny was too habituated to humans to have the proper instincts to migrate. Unable to survive the harsh Canadian winter alone, the Bissonnettes contacted Turtle Pond Wildlife Centre in Sudbury, Ontario, who agreed to house Penny for the winter. But there was one caveat: Sudbury is a 13-hour drive from Shuniah!

Luckily, Bear Skin Airlines generously agreed to cover Penny's flight, and she arrived at Turtle Pond on October 12th, where it was confirmed that she was unreleasable. Unfortunately, Turtle Pond did not have the proper facility to house a pelican long-term. This meant that unless Penny found a forever home, she would have to be humanely euthanized. Penny remained at Turtle Pond while an appropriate center was found.

Enter Pelican Harbor stage left. After speaking with Turtle Pond, our team decided that Penny would be a perfect addition to our ambassador pelican flock! Once she received a clean bill of health (pun intended), we began to formulate a plan to get Penny from Ontario to Miami. But transporting a pelican from Canada to Miami is no easy feat.

After much deliberation, staff at Turtle Pond graciously offered to drive Penny the nine hours from Sudbury to the US border, where she would then pass through customs to board a Delta cargo flight from Detroit to Miami. Penny arrived at Miami International Airport at 9:15pm on December 15th, where Clinic Manager Yaritza Acosta and volunteer Neil Krasner were waiting for her!

We are thrilled to welcome Penny to our flock, where she is quickly fitting in with our other ambassadors. This miraculous story is the result of dozens of selfless human beings who worked toward the common goal of saving Penny, and we are so humbled by the compassion and dedication of her rescuers.

Turtle Pond Wildlife Centre is a relatively small organization with a limited budget, and we would love to be able to reimburse them for all they did this single pelican. On top of caring for Penny for over two months, Turtle Pond also covered her $400 flight from Detroit on top of the $190 animal import fee.

You can donate below to help cover the cost of Penny's transportation, as well as her past, current, and future care at PHSS!