Angry Bird turned Happy Bird

Callie (Brandt's family dog) really wanted to go on a walk the other day, she was so excited!  So we finally took her around the block over to the Old Farm Park.  On the way, Hailey and Hayden were crossing over the dried up irrigation ditch.  Callie followed them to the other side and she saw a little black bird with a white belly on the ground on the other side of the chain link fence.  She charged barking and trying to scare it.  It hopped around a little bit but just stayed there.  Brandt thought it was really trying to protect something because it didn't fly away.  Callie got right up to it on the other side of the chain link fence, just barking and barking...and the bird just hopped around.  I knew something had to be wrong, so I jumped across the ditch to the other side.  Sure enough, it was caught up in some fishing wire through its wings and couldn't fly off.  It was so scared poor thing, so we had the kids take Callie away.  I wanted to jump the fence right there to help it but after devising a plan, I ran home to get gloves and scissors.  Brandt and I hopped the barbed wire fence.  We tried to be calm, no big movements or anything to scare it.  He grabbed the bird and held it so I could take a look at its wing.  The fishing wire looked as though it had been strung right through his wing at the top by the bone.  I tried to tug the wire gently, but it wouldn't give one bit.  It was bleeding from pecking at itself trying to get free.  I felt so bad!  We really looked to see how the wire was tangled through it's wing, but we couldn't really find a knot or anything that would allow us to completely take the fishing wire out.  So I just cut down the wire as far as I could on both sides. We set the bird down and it started hopping away.  When it didn't instantly fly away, I thought it was really a gonner!  Luckily it started to flap its wings, and to our amazement, the bird turned to look back and chirped at us, and then flew off.  I think he actually thanked us!! His little buddy popped out of a tree and took off with him.  They landed at the pond for water and then we lost him after that.  We felt so good that we were able to free the little guy.  There was a big stray cat hanging around, and I know that cat would've had a healthy snack before too long.  Hailey and Hayden wanted to help us so bad.  I was working with my bare hands, so Hayden ran home to bring me some gloves.  Sweet guy!  They thought it was a really neat experience.