The Heart Behind Shallow Ridge Exotics

Where It All Began

Hi, I’m Mandy, the founder of Shallow Ridge Exotics. I was born and raised in Texas, and my education has taken me through animal science, biology, and criminal law. For many years, I worked in law while continuing to learn about animals and their needs. During that time, I also had the opportunity to study avian care in Colorado, which opened my eyes even further to the incredible world of birds and exotic animals.

But long before Shallow Ridge Exotics ever existed, there was simply me and my love for animals. As a child, I grew up around horses, and somehow I always seemed to find the animals that needed a little extra love and care. I brought home just about anything that needed help. Thankfully, my parents were patient and generous enough to allow that love for animals and nature to grow.

How Shallow Ridge Exotics Grew

I have always believed that animals make some of the most wonderful friends we can have, but only if we take the time to truly listen to them. Animals don’t always communicate with a sound or a voice. Sometimes they communicate through their actions, their body language, their behavior, and even the little things they do that most people might overlook.

The more I learned, the more I realized just how amazing animals truly are and how often their needs can be misunderstood. Over the years, friends, friends of friends, and others began reaching out to me when they came across an animal that needed help, needed a new home, or simply needed someone willing to step in. I found myself helping whenever I could. What started as something I did on the side slowly became something much bigger than I ever imagined.

Eventually, I realized that this wasn’t simply something I enjoyed doing. It was something I felt called to do. My faith has always been an important part of how I see the world, and I believe that animals are part of God’s creation and deserve kindness, compassion, and respect. I know I cannot save every animal that needs help, and that can be one of the hardest parts of rescue. But if there is an animal I can help, or even a way I can help find a solution, I want to try.

That belief is what eventually grew into Shallow Ridge Exotics.

Every Animal Has a Story

Shallow Ridge Exotics is a small rescue centered primarily around avian animals and Sulcata tortoises, while also making room for special or severe cases when we are able to safely provide the care they need.

Every animal that comes through our doors has a different history, different needs, and a different story. There is no perfect formula for rescue. Sometimes helping an animal means medical care. Sometimes it means patience and rehabilitation. Sometimes it means finding the right home. And sometimes, it simply means giving an animal a safe place to rest and be cared for when they have nowhere else to go.

I don’t believe I have all the answers, and I certainly don’t believe I can fix everything. What I do have is a willingness to learn, to listen, and to keep trying.

Why We Keep Going

Shallow Ridge Exotics was built from a lifelong love for animals, but it has grown because of the animals themselves. Every animal has taught me something, and some have changed me in ways I never expected.

My hope is that Shallow Ridge Exotics can be a place where animals are seen for who they are—not simply as pets, but as living beings with individual personalities, needs, emotions, and stories.

I am incredibly grateful for every person who has supported this journey and for every animal who has trusted me enough to become part of it.

This rescue began with a dream, but the animals are the reason it continues.

And as long as I can help, I will keep trying.

Jellybean's Story

Jellybean was an Umbrella Cockatoo who came to our rescue after her previous owner reached out to surrender her. By the time she arrived, Jellybean’s health was already declining, and it was clear that she had lived for many years without the care and environment she needed. She had spent much of her life in a very small cage where she could barely turn around, and her diet consisted largely of table scraps and coffee. She had also plucked most of the feathers from her chest. While feather plucking can have many causes, her condition was another reminder of just how difficult her life had been.

After decades of an improper diet, poor hydration, and an unhealthy lifestyle, Jellybean’s body was showing the effects. We took her to the veterinarian as soon as possible for an examination and blood work. Testing revealed cardiac health concerns believed to be associated with her long-term diet, high sodium intake, inadequate hydration, and poor nutrition.

From the very beginning, Jellybean formed a special bond with our founder, and that connection became an important part of her journey. Helping Jellybean change the habits she had known for decades was not easy. She had become very accustomed to the foods she had been given and knew exactly what she wanted. Our founder began slowly introducing healthier foods and baby food while working to transition Jellybean to a more appropriate diet.

Pellets were ground and mixed into her food, but Jellybean was incredibly smart and could often tell the difference. She would sometimes refuse the healthier options, and coffee was an especially difficult habit to break. When Jellybean saw a cup of coffee, she could become anxious and determined to fly toward it for a drink. Changing her habits was a constant challenge, not because Jellybean was difficult, but because she had spent decades learning to live a certain way. She was suddenly being asked to give up everything familiar to her and learn an entirely different way of living.

Jellybean also had a history of having her wings improperly clipped, and for much of her life she had never experienced what it truly meant to fly. When her flight feathers finally grew back, Jellybean discovered that she could fly, and that opened an entirely new chapter in her life. Our founder wanted her to experience the freedom every bird deserves, so they began working together on free flight, the ability to fly freely outdoors and return to her person when called. It was a gradual process built on trust, patience, consistency, and love.

For Jellybean, flying became more than simply learning a skill. It gave her the opportunity to feel the wind beneath her wings, experience the open air around her, and discover a freedom she had been denied for much of her life. Jellybean’s health remained a constant concern throughout her time with the rescue, and we knew there were no guarantees about how much time she had. That was one of the reasons her freedom became so important.

We could not undo the years of poor nutrition, confinement, feather plucking, or neglect. We could not give her back the years she had lost. But we could give Jellybean something different for the time she had left. We could give her patience, proper care, a safe place to call home, and the opportunity to fly.

Jellybean passed away in 2023, and her passing was a deeply sad day for everyone who had come to love her. Yet when we remember Jellybean, we try not to focus only on where she came from or the hardships she endured. We remember the bird who learned to trust, the bird who was loved, and the bird who finally discovered what it felt like to fly.

Before she passed, Jellybean had the opportunity to feel the wind and air beneath her wings and experience the freedom she deserved. We could not change her past, but we were able to give her love, care, trust, safety, and freedom during the time she had with us.