Have you lost a peacock? If so, it might be at the Guelph Humane Society
If not claimed, Perry the peacock will be put up for adoption
A peacock found wandering a property in Belwood, Ont., on the weekend is now resting comfortably at the Guelph Humane Society.
Jane Dawkins, director of communications and community engagement for the humane society, says the peacock may have been drawn to the property because there were also turkeys.
"We suspect that the food and water probably attracted him," Dawkins told CBC News.
The peacock, who has since been named Perry, ended up going underneath the resident's deck where he was contained until an animal services officer could arrive and capture Perry safely.
"He's in our farm animal room, resting comfortably right now," Dawkins said.
No one has called to claim Perry yet. Dawkins said it's believed Perry came from a local hobby farm because peacocks are not wild in Ontario.
"When animals come into our care, when they're lost, we have those straight hold of about five business days. And during that time, we encourage the public to submit a loss report if they think they're missing their peacock," she said.
If the owner isn't found, then Perry will become available for adoption.
While a peacock is not the normal sort of animal people expect to adopt from the humane society, Dawkins says they often have animals beyond dogs, cats, birds and hamsters.
"We've had chickens, ducks, we've had pigs in our farm animal room and so we have an active farm animal program where we do adopt them out to either hobby farms or sanctuaries or other places," she said.
Dawkins said anyone missing a pet — even if it's not Perry the peacock — should reach out to the humane society. They can submit a lost pet report through the society's website.
"We have had lots of success. We have a very complex matching program. Most recently in early January, we were able to match a cat that had been missing since Thanksgiving," she said. "In the fall we had one that had been missing for three years."
Dawkins added it's important people also microchip their pets because it makes it easier to return a lost animal to its owners.