# Rescue from a different species perspective



## piercesdesigns (Oct 14, 2009)

I am very active in parrot rescue. After being very active in canine rescue for years and retiring from it, somehow *HA!* I ended up being called into parrot rescue.

If you think dog rescue is hard? I honestly can say I have witnessed even worse in parrot rescue. Maybe it is because these animals are so long lived. Maybe it is because they can speak in a language we can understand. They are such a difficult animal to own, and many people buy them as impulse buys because "They talk!" "they are so cool!" "they are so beautiful!"

Because of parrots ability to speak you get to hear in excruciating detail what was said and done to them. Often over and over all day. One recent macaw we picked up has a constant repertoire of specific motions accompanied by a stream of obscenities. 

My own adopted Greenwing macaw screams obscenities. If I am chopping veggies he lets out a stream of F words. Likely he had things thrown at his cage, followed by those words. He was 5 yrs old when I got him into my home. He had been in 5 different homes. One year of his life had been spent in the dark, in a garage.

We had one come into a rescue 2 weeks ago. A cockatoo. Hand raised by the person turning him over. Spent 8 yrs as a loved pet. Then, the person put him in a closet, in the dark, for 8 years. 8 years. No toys. No light. No people. Nothing. Nothing but his feathers that he could pull out one by one giving himself some endorphins. He is so sweet. He talks, he says "Hey baby. Pretty boy, sweet heart." etc. It baffles my mind.

We require a home visit. We also require that adopters attend 2 educational classes before adoption. Many people don't understand why. But then again, most people think you feed parrots seeds and they don't need anything else. Parrots are also not truly domesticated animals. Most people do not know how to read their body language, so they take away the parrots ability to "tell them" they are going to bite. We teach positive reinforcement and body language in our classes. 

We currently have 300+ birds in foster. We have 148 more waiting to come into a foster home. With the economy they come in faster than we can keep up. 

Rescue is strict because our goal is to keep these babies from ending back in the same situation. 

It is the same regardless of species. 

Here is an awesome movie for anyone to watch about parrot and the dire issues facing rescue:

http://www.arrowheadfilm.com/node/54
Just thought I'd share from a parrot rescue perspective.


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## weber1b (Nov 30, 2008)

A very thoughtful and timely post. There is one running right now on dog rescue regarding whether or not they are too strict in their guidlines. Thanks for posting.


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## Myamom (Oct 10, 2005)

Yes...parrots are way too often a novel impulse buy. If not nurtured and handled properly...they can become excessive screamers, pluckers and biters...leading to the family wanting to dump them. They also require a special diet, plenty of toys and stimulation...and quite often are going to outlive you. It's basically a lifetime committment. You also have to change alot of your lifestyle...like ommitting chemical cleaners, teflon, scents from your home. Parrots require alot of work...which unfortunately many people aren't informed of when they walk out of the store with them (I've actually seen petstores selling unweaned babies!). Again...this is why only working with reputable breeders or rescues and not buying from petstore is so important.


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## mahhi22 (Jul 14, 2009)

So sad








I wanted to watch the movie but it has been removed. However there is a brief trailer @ http://www.flyawayfilms.com/APlacetoLand.html. I'm sure the movie would make me cry. Just thinking about it makes me teary. 

Here's another film link, longer than the above trailer. A Place to Land Wins National Student Academy Award (5/15/09)
http://www.oscars.org/awards/saa/winners/2009.html


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## piercesdesigns (Oct 14, 2009)

oops! I didn't realize they had moved it. 

The organization I am part of was featured in it so I got to watch it.

Here is the official website. 

http://www.flyawayfilms.com/APlacetoLand.html

I am going to buy several copies of the DVD and give it people who think of owning a parrot


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## shilohsmom (Jul 14, 2003)

Once rescue gets in your blood its hard to get it out isn't it??? It is so sad that pets are so disposable by so many, that people get them with little thought or commitment. IMHO Rescues need to screen people, home visits are important as are referrances. I like the idea of the classes that they do in your rescue. As you said, some of these birds live very long lifes.


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## piercesdesigns (Oct 14, 2009)

Here is my memorial video to my special girl that pulled us into parrot rescue in the first place.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74G1LQijg-g


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## Myamom (Oct 10, 2005)

how she was treated








for giving her love 

Thank you


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## weber1b (Nov 30, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: myamomAgain...this is why only working with reputable breeders or rescues and not buying from petstore is so important.


Off topic, but the only animal one should buy from a pet store should be fish.


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

Wow, I never knew that birds were so hard to care for. I'm not big on birds because they make me a bit uncomfortable, but I do love how they talk.
While in a nursing home, there was a cute little parrot they kept in the gym. He whistled at me and BFs sister as we were walking away and it totally made my day.

Growing up, I had an Umbrella Cockatoo. He loved my mom. I actually got to name him Balu.
He had a huge cage that was cleaned regularly and he ate some kind of colorful seed stuff. He destroyed all the furniture when let out of the cage lol.
My mom loved him but when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor, we had to rehome him. We fear that the people we gave him up to let him get hurt by their Rotties.









Now, I wonder if we actually cared for him the right way.


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## piercesdesigns (Oct 14, 2009)

> Quote:he ate some kind of colorful seed stuff


That is common and what most stores sell for you to feed. Lots more is known about parrots today, but petstores still sell seed as a primary diet for parrots. 

Some parrots (mostly keets) eat seeds, but the majority eat fruits, greens and also scavenge. It depends on the ecosystem they evolved in. 

My parrots eat only fresh fruits and veggies and nuts and some cooked mash. I should add, they get 1tbsp of a seed mix, but that is usually just to provide a foraging treat

Keeping parrots correctly is labor intensive. Their systems are so much more sensitive than any other animal. You make a commitment to change your lifestyle when you commit to them. 

I will say, I laugh every single day at some thing my guys say or do. 

I still look at them in their prisons and know that I can never ever give them a 10th of the life they should have. I have taken a perfectly healthy child and forced them to live their life in a wheelchair, never to play and run like they are supposed to. It weighs on my conscience. But I do my level best to give them the best I can.


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## Tbarrios333 (May 31, 2009)

piercesdesigns said:


> > Quote:
> > My parrots eat only fresh fruits and veggies and nuts and some cooked mash. I should add, they get 1tbsp of a seed mix, but that is usually just to provide a foraging treat
> 
> 
> ...


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## tnbsmommy (Mar 23, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: piercesdesignsWe had one come into a rescue 2 weeks ago. A cockatoo. Hand raised by the person turning him over. Spent 8 yrs as a loved pet. Then, the person put him in a closet, in the dark, for 8 years. 8 years. No toys. No light. No people. Nothing. Nothing but his feathers that he could pull out one by one giving himself some endorphins. He is so sweet. He talks, he says "Hey baby. Pretty boy, sweet heart." etc. It baffles my mind.


THAT is beyond sad. how heartbreaking to be loved for 8 YEARS and then stuffed away like an outdated freaking COAT for 8 MORE years??? That really breaks my heart. I wanted a Vosmaeri Eclectus parrot for a long time, bought books, did research. and decided it wasn't the right time in my life to devote to one. I'd still like to one day. but it won't be soon.

Thank goodness those wonderful creatures have people like you to take them and show them love.


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## TxRider (Apr 15, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: tnbsmommy
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: piercesdesignsWe had one come into a rescue 2 weeks ago. A cockatoo. Hand raised by the person turning him over. Spent 8 yrs as a loved pet. Then, the person put him in a closet, in the dark, for 8 years. 8 years. No toys. No light. No people. Nothing. Nothing but his feathers that he could pull out one by one giving himself some endorphins. He is so sweet. He talks, he says "Hey baby. Pretty boy, sweet heart." etc. It baffles my mind.
> ...


At least they fed him for those 8 years..

My little sister bought a cockatiel on a whim when she was probably about 16yrs old. Poor bird. He was a real character.

A couple of years later, like several of her pets, he ended up with me. After a while he was sitting on my shoulder, or on the back of the sofa while we I watched TV. He even got along with my dog, but not my cats. The cats lived outside anyway though.

Never could get him to speak, other than saying "turkey bird", which is what we called him. He could whistle about anything though, and do woody woodpecker.

At the time I wasn't aware they lived so long, and parrots even longer.

After quite some time my mother took him in, and there he stayed until he died last year of old age. I don't remember exactly how old he was, he was little when my sister bought him, back in the 1970's, but it was close to 30 years.

I don't think most people getting parrots have a real idea of just how long that is.


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## onyxena (Oct 24, 2007)

This is an issue that I care alot about. I have 3 large macaws in my home, and this is absolutely correct! Ihave been involved with various species for nearly 20 years, which is most of my life. These birds are so difficult to keep, I shudder when I see people picking out a macaw or cockatoo in a pet shop! I have worked in a large, well know, well run exotic bird store on the east coast and can say they really did do a good job of caring for the birds and trying to educate new owners. 
BUT soo many of the people who came in out of curiosity ended up getting a bird, wiht the best intentions of course. Nothing can truly prepare someone for how challenging the wild creatures really are! Most people can handle caring for a cockatiel, even with the pooping constant screeching, and seeds and poweders everywhere. However, many of these wonderful littles birds become too much for their owners. 
Then you get people who fall in love with the more difficult species and they just have no idea of how much their life will change to accomodate this creature. People in geneal just don't understand that unlike dogs, parrots are truley WILD. they have not been in close contact with humans for thousands of years, evolving the abilities to coexist with humans and develope funtional relationships. Most species are only 2 or 3 generations from the wild. 
Parrot rescues are truley overwhelmed with the volume they get in. Parrots are expensive to maintain and many rescues simply do not have the resources to care for more than a few at a time. Many caregivers get burnout from the toll just caring for these needy demanding noisy creatures everyday with no break. So few homes are qualified to meet to adoption requirements, or even to care long term for birds already in pet homes. I really think at some point we are going to be seeing routine euthanasia of parrots, like other companion animals. 
I really really love my macaws. They are my biggest passion in my life and always have been. I frequent several bird message boards and try to learn all I can for them. I cook for them, buy fresh produce, shower with them, make toys for them, and really try to give them a good life. However, even in a good home with an educated, responsible owner, they are still challenging. Every day. 

My Greenwing macaw picks at her feathers under her wings. SHe has done this since she was lmost 2 years old. This is not a neglected bird. She has had vet exams, diet changes, etc. but still picks. I am constantly wondering how to change this habitual behavior. So even birds in good homes have issues. I can't even imagine how birds in these horrid situations cope everyday. 

There is a wonderful rescue out here that is very well known. They really try to educate the public. They have very strict adoption requirements and extensive screening. I do value their education programs greatly and am planning to become more invoolved at some point. I have no plans to adopt a bird from them, but we definatley need more places like this for birds, and for the education they can provide.


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