Sparks, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — Sunny, a 47-year-old white umbrella cockatoo, has been a constant companion to Kevin Van Arkel for more than three decades. He said the bird serves as his emotional support animal for epilepsy.
“One of the most intellectually intelligent birds that are out there,” he said. Van Arkel received Sunny from his father after the bird was attacked by a hawk. “But the way she looked at me when she got out of the cage and got on me was just a cry(ing) so loud. I couldn’t walk away, so she’s been my best friend, my most loyal and trusting. I don’t know anyone that I’ve ever met that has more moral value. I owe my life to her,” Van Arkel said fighting back tears.
He said Sunny alerts him to impending seizures by tugging on his ear, prompting him to sit down. “She’ll pull on these three times, and I know what she’s telling me, and I sit down, I don’t care if I’m in the mud.” he said.
Despite their bond, Van Arkel and Sunny face challenges accessing public spaces. The Sparks Library, which he said once welcomed them, now asks them to leave, citing county policy that only allows federally approved service animals. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) recognizes only dogs and small horses as service animals, not birds…