So, the bird flu is a big deal nowadays, it could kill thousands. And even if it weren't the bird flu, we still have the West Nile Virus. Now, given that these things are so deadly and important, you would figure that the Santa Clara Vector Control would have a greater sense of urgency when they get a phone call about a dead bird. But, they don't. My parents found a dead bird in their backyard today (Saturday) and were freaked out. So, they gave Santa Clara Vector Control a call to have them come out and pick up the bird for analysis. Instead, the guy on the phone informed my mom that they don't do dead bird pickups on weekends (WTF??) and that if the bird is dead for more than 48 hours, they can't do any analysis anyways. When asked what should be done then, the guy told my mom nonchalantly that she should just bag the bird and throw it into the trash. Are government agencies really this bad?