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Left wing, right wing – it’s all good

By Jessica Ercolino, Staff Writer
   PLUMSTED — Perennial Township Committee candidate Mitch Geier may be considered “left wing” in the political sense, but for the greater portion of his life, he’s been tending to both wings.
   Mr. Geier, 53, has spent 30 years working with sick, injured and needy animals — mainly birds — out of his former home in Old Bridge, and his current one on Hawkin Road.
   ”Life takes you to weird places, but you do you what you gotta do,” said Mr. Geier. “These animals are just unbelievable. You learn not to judge and just love unconditionally.”
   Mr. Geier said he was interested in animals at a young age and became involved with magic during his 20s, performing in Las Vegas and working with a number of birds. Upon returning to New Jersey, he worked with the Animal Rescue Force and area veterinarians to help sick and injured birds.
   ”I’m really proud of my statistics,” he said. “Most rescue facilities save about 10 percent of birds that come in; my average is above 20 percent.”
   In his prime, during an average summer, Mr. Geier would see between 500 and 1,000 birds. Whether it was hand-feeding baby birds throughout the night or administering medicine, Mr. Geier would do anything for the betterment of the birds.
   ”I don’t believe in euthanasia except in extreme circumstances,” he said. “(An animal) should be given the chance to live regardless of limitations as long as it is able to live without suffering.”
   In one of Mr. Geier’s success stories, a seagull with a shattered wing was brought in and he was advised to put the bird down. Refusing to comply, Mr. Geier spent 24 hours on the phone with experts, deciding instead to have the bird’s wing amputated. The seagull underwent three months of training and ultimately found a happy home in a petting zoo.
   Nearly 20 years ago, 10 baby ducks found their way to Mr. Geier’s house via military escort. Teams of military men and squad cars transported the ducks, which were found in a storm drain at Fort Monmouth in Red Bank. Naturally, the police showed up to see what the commotion was, according to Mr. Geier, and that attracted fire safety response.
   ”It was like the invasion of Normandy, all over baby ducks,” he said.
   But Mr. Geier’s compassion isn’t just for the birds. He adopted a dog with epilepsy, rescued a Mali uromastyx lizard from poor conditions in a pet store (that he also got closed down for cruelty) and even saved flying squirrels that had invaded his home.
   Mr. Geier said he is trained to administer injections and medicine to the animals and is qualified to handle emergency situations, but is not a certified veterinarian. He said he is able to reach Old Bridge veterinarian and personal friend Dr. Alan Dubowy on the phone 24 hours a day for professional help.
   Lately, Mr. Geier has been taking a less aggressive approach to animal rescue, seeing about 20 to 30 birds a season. He said he will take birds any time, but prefers dogs and cats be referred by veterinarians.
   In his heyday, Mr. Geier had 25 animals living in his home; currently, Mr. Geier and his wife, Betsy, have seven animals: a macaw, a yellow nape bird, a cockatoo, two doves and a dog.
   ”She’s so supportive,” Mr. Geier said of his wife. “I think if I had 500 animals in this house she wouldn’t have a problem with it.”
   One of the animals that most touched his heart, however, was Rooster, a dog who Mr. Geier said adopted him. Rooster had neuropathy, which deteriorated the dog’s hindquarters and placed him in a wheelchair. Also, Rooster’s gall bladder burst and he was not able to control his bodily functions. Still, Mr. Geier said the dog was happy to be alive.
   ”He was an incredible dog,” he said. “I’ve never seen a dog bond with birds like this before. He would ride around with a macaw on his back.”
   Unfortunately, Rooster died at the age of 17, and Mr. Geier and his wife took the loss hard.
   ”None of this is easy,” he said. “You know 80 percent of the time you’re going to be heartbroken and it weighs on you emotionally, but you’ve gotta hang on to your successes. You find solutions against the odds and it really makes it rewarding.”
   Mr. Geier said that medically needy animals are the best animals you can have.
   ”I still want to take care of these animals because no one else will. There are very few homes for them,” he said. “I can’t say I’m Dr. Dolittle, but these animals communicate with me and I try to give them every chance at life.”