The Pet Bird Crisis is So Bad...
The pet bird crisis is so bad that when I attended the SF Animal Welfare Commission's meeting at City Hall on 6/10 to discuss a possible ban on the sale of pets in SF, birds had been left off the list of animals being considered, despite the fact that the Bay Area's nonprofit, all volunteer Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue is continuously overwhelmed with surrendered, abandoned and neglected pet parrots ranging from budgies and cockatiels and conures to macaws and amazons and cockatoos. People just don't know much about birds.
Since that meeting, birds have been added to the discussion and that is very important because consumers are, for the most part, completely unaware of what parrots require for proper care. As a result, the average parrot will be mistreated despite good intentions and, because of behaviors like screaming, destructiveness and aggression, be rehomed seven times in the first ten years of their lives.
Mickaboo Companion Rescue Organization (and its partner MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue) support the ban on pet bird sales in San Francisco and asks that you help us to get the word out about what is really happening with pet birds. This link http://mickaboo.org/release.pdf is a Mickaboo press release for immediate distribution.
For your convenience, here are links to recent TV news coverage on the issue-
Birds may be added to ban on pet sales 6/10, SF ABC Channel 7
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=7491424
SF leaders consider bird sale ban 6/18, SF ABC Channel 7
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&id=7507345
And here, in an article and a book written by award-winning animal welfare journalist Mira Tweti, detailed more completely than I ever could, are the many reasons why banning pet bird sales is the right thing to do.
Plenty to Squawk About- Los Angeles Times - Award-winning LA Times Magazine expose' (which spurred the book) and helped to pass a precedent-setting bill to protect baby parrots in the pet trade (ie, pet stores & breeders selling them too young)
http://articles.latimes.com/2003/jul/20/magazine/tm-parrots29
Of Parrots and People: The Sometimes Funny, Always Fascinating and Often Catastrophic Collision of Two Intelligent Species
http://www.amazon.com/Parrots-People-Fascinating-Catastrophic-Intelligent/dp/0670019690
(It was lauded by everyone from Dr. Jane Goodall to Wayne Pacelle, Prez/CEO of the Humane Society of the US).
Here is a letter sent from Mickaboo (by Karen Watkins, Amazon Coordinator) to other Bay Area Rescues:
Dear Friends, San Francisco is considering a proposal to ban the sale of cats, dogs, small mammals and birds in retail stores. Many pet stores across the country stopped selling dogs and cats years ago, as it has become commonly accepted that such sales contributed to serious overpopulations of these animals. In fact, several cities have outlawed the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores altogether for this reason.
The unwanted bird and small animal problem may be less visible to some because these animals are less likely to show up in municipal animal shelter statistics. Instead, most companion bird and small animal rescues are handled directly by independent, all-volunteer, non-profit organizations such as Mickaboo.
The dramatic increases that these grass-root rescues are seeing in the number of animals that they take in, and in the veterinary bills which they incur, is testament to the fact that the birds and smaller animals are experiencing an overpopulation crisis and that this crisis is worsening year by year. Many large birds such as amazons, macaws and cockatoos are forced to change homes an average of 7 times in the first 10 years of their long lives. While statistics for large birds may not show breeding quantities as large as the smaller birds, their long life span and challenging environmental requirements increase the number of placements provided throughout the lifetime of these birds.
There is a lot of opposition to this ban from animal retailers in and outside the San Francisco area. We are asking for your help in getting the word out about this important issue. As a Northern California bird rescue, Mickaboo is overwhelmed with abandoned and neglected birds. This ban will reduce the numbers of birds and mammals sold to people who are unaware of the needs of these animals.
Please join us Thursday, July 8th at 5:30pm in San Francisco for the Animal Welfare Commission meeting, which will be held at:
San Francisco City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 408
San Francisco CA
Your presence to support the well-being of all rescue animals as well as companion/pet birds regardless of their size will be greatly appreciated. ALL ARE WELCOME - SF RESIDENCY IS NOT REQUIRED.
Since that meeting, birds have been added to the discussion and that is very important because consumers are, for the most part, completely unaware of what parrots require for proper care. As a result, the average parrot will be mistreated despite good intentions and, because of behaviors like screaming, destructiveness and aggression, be rehomed seven times in the first ten years of their lives.
Mickaboo Companion Rescue Organization (and its partner MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue) support the ban on pet bird sales in San Francisco and asks that you help us to get the word out about what is really happening with pet birds. This link http://mickaboo.org/release.pdf is a Mickaboo press release for immediate distribution.
For your convenience, here are links to recent TV news coverage on the issue-
Birds may be added to ban on pet sales 6/10, SF ABC Channel 7
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=7491424
SF leaders consider bird sale ban 6/18, SF ABC Channel 7
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/san_francisco&id=7507345
And here, in an article and a book written by award-winning animal welfare journalist Mira Tweti, detailed more completely than I ever could, are the many reasons why banning pet bird sales is the right thing to do.
Plenty to Squawk About- Los Angeles Times - Award-winning LA Times Magazine expose' (which spurred the book) and helped to pass a precedent-setting bill to protect baby parrots in the pet trade (ie, pet stores & breeders selling them too young)
http://articles.latimes.com/2003/jul/20/magazine/tm-parrots29
Of Parrots and People: The Sometimes Funny, Always Fascinating and Often Catastrophic Collision of Two Intelligent Species
http://www.amazon.com/Parrots-People-Fascinating-Catastrophic-Intelligent/dp/0670019690
(It was lauded by everyone from Dr. Jane Goodall to Wayne Pacelle, Prez/CEO of the Humane Society of the US).
Here is a letter sent from Mickaboo (by Karen Watkins, Amazon Coordinator) to other Bay Area Rescues:
Dear Friends, San Francisco is considering a proposal to ban the sale of cats, dogs, small mammals and birds in retail stores. Many pet stores across the country stopped selling dogs and cats years ago, as it has become commonly accepted that such sales contributed to serious overpopulations of these animals. In fact, several cities have outlawed the sale of dogs and cats in pet stores altogether for this reason.
The unwanted bird and small animal problem may be less visible to some because these animals are less likely to show up in municipal animal shelter statistics. Instead, most companion bird and small animal rescues are handled directly by independent, all-volunteer, non-profit organizations such as Mickaboo.
The dramatic increases that these grass-root rescues are seeing in the number of animals that they take in, and in the veterinary bills which they incur, is testament to the fact that the birds and smaller animals are experiencing an overpopulation crisis and that this crisis is worsening year by year. Many large birds such as amazons, macaws and cockatoos are forced to change homes an average of 7 times in the first 10 years of their long lives. While statistics for large birds may not show breeding quantities as large as the smaller birds, their long life span and challenging environmental requirements increase the number of placements provided throughout the lifetime of these birds.
There is a lot of opposition to this ban from animal retailers in and outside the San Francisco area. We are asking for your help in getting the word out about this important issue. As a Northern California bird rescue, Mickaboo is overwhelmed with abandoned and neglected birds. This ban will reduce the numbers of birds and mammals sold to people who are unaware of the needs of these animals.
Please join us Thursday, July 8th at 5:30pm in San Francisco for the Animal Welfare Commission meeting, which will be held at:
San Francisco City Hall
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 408
San Francisco CA
Your presence to support the well-being of all rescue animals as well as companion/pet birds regardless of their size will be greatly appreciated. ALL ARE WELCOME - SF RESIDENCY IS NOT REQUIRED.
posted by Elizabeth at
1:34 PM
5 Comments:
Okay Bird Rescuers,while you are doing a wonderful job with bird re-homing, long years before you ever came on the scene, the job was being done by bird breeders, bird vets and bird clubs. You all decided to join into the activity. The big difference is that you joined with an attitude. The attitude that the public doesn't know how to properly care for birds and that there are too many birds in the country. Well, you have forgotten one thing. People who need to re-home their birds do so primarily because of changes in their life situation: serious illness, loss of job, loss of home, moving to a convalescent home, moving out of the state or country, and death. There are a few cases of people who are unable to understand birds and therefore unable to interact with them successfully. These are not the majority. As far as the mantra of Don't Breed, Don't Buy, Adopt...rescuers are in business just like pet stores. They just don't call it business but it certainly is...money changes hands in the process of adoption. Now, when breeders and clubs and vets re-homed birds, they did not charge a fee!!!!
Dear Anonymous...
Are you serious? Did you just fall out of a tree or what? Bird rescues exist because of idiots like you who have a misconception of the way things really work! Non profit rescues DO NOT PROFIT from their adoption fees. Organizations like Mickaboo spend nearly $15,000 a month on vet care for injured birds that need a new home. Where exactly do you think they get that money? Surely it does not grow on the tree you have apparently fallen from! Organizations like Mickaboo are being hit the hardest because people do not realize the long term commitment to a bird when they support their local breeder, who by the way is in the business of making money! Often times when the purchaser realizes that they have the less than perfect bird they run to organizations like Mickaboo to surrender it. They other alternative is that they will set it free or sell it on sites like craigslist. Now let me ask you this... Would you re-home your kid when they became too much to handle? For those that would, they dont go selling them on craigslist! They turn to non profit organizations for assistance. Now do we accuse them of trying to make a profit? They are a part of the solution not the problem! When Suzy and her mom go into a pet store to buy a bird, the chances are that they are buying it with no knowledge of what they are getting themselves into. However, because Suzy is crying because she wants the "green bird" her mom gives in and its just a matter of time before Mickaboo becomes involved. Perhaps you should read Mickaboo's mission statement or get involved with rescue efforts before you talk on subjects you know nothing about!
Lack of education is why the animal crisis is so bad.
That is interesting I just got a call from a woman who wants to give up just one of her paired up bird becasue they had babies and she just does not want him anymore! So Anonymous, there is always another side of each perception. I say if they are going to ban sales of animals in SF, it should include birds.
This is an interesting opinion but it leaves me with a few questions.
First of all, if the "bird breeders, bird vets and bird clubs" are doing such a great job, then why are any birds ending up at rescues? In fact, if these groups were doing the job so effectively before rescuers joined in, then why was there ever a need for rescues in the first place?
Second, your argument about many people needing to give up their birds because of changes in their lives is true. In fact, since organizations like Mickaboo/coo have been educating people about how to provide proper care for their birds, many companion birds have been living longer lives, which necessitates more rehoming because of lifestyle changes. Still, what point are you trying to make here? Are you saying that these birds who need rehoming are not part of the overpopulation crisis? Are you saying that they should be ignored?
Third, you seem to be implying that there's not an outstanding problem with people not knowing how to properly care for birds. What is your basis for this statement? Have you worked with rescues or shelters and heard enough of a cross-section of their surrender stories to make such a claim based on evidence? Are you privy to the surrender requests that an organization like Mickaboo gets?
Finally, your statement that "rescuers are in business" is, technically true. Mickaboo, for example, is a non-profit in the business of rescuing birds. As a 501(c)3, Mickaboo's revenues and expenses are a matter of public record. You might be interested in checking them sometime. You'll find that the overwhelming majority of Mickaboo's expenses, currently around $15K/month, goes towards veterinary bills. This $15K/month is much, much greater than Mickaboo's rehoming fees and is usually more than the organization takes in from donations as well. You'll also learn that not one of Mickaboo's staff, administrators or board are paid.
Well, you rescuers just don't get it. You are being inundated with birds because you advertise that you will take in birds! DUH... what did you expect? When you took over the rescue biz, that is what happened. You wanted that role and you have it. All those birds that used to go to vets, bird breeders and clubs for re-homing are now going YOUR way.
And, as far as patting yourselves on the back, don't strain your arm. I personally know of more than one rescue operation that operates for MONEY...they won't take in any birds that aren't perfect and able to be easily "sold" for a nice profit. And, I know of other rescue operations that have sought out "showy" birds so they can call on more donations...in fact one guy went so far as to STEAL a Blue and Gold and a Hyacinth for his rescue...but with a call to the police, he was "persuaded" to return those two birds! This kind of behavior does not look good!
As far as Mickaboo's veterinary expenses...I have to laugh. I guess you all don't have much of a clue as to how to work with a vet and as to what tests are needed and what veterinary medical practices are not needed. That is why you have such astronomical vet bills...helping some vets make a living I guess! A vet can indicate xx number of tests are needed...but they may not be needed. You need a little more knowledge about birds and vets.
While you are at it, tell me how you see a connection between pet store sales and birds needing re-homing? I challenge you to make a record of WHERE the birds originated that you are being asked to re-home. You will likely find that these birds came from many sources. That is reality.
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