by Lori Miller

A Greenwing Macaw named Lola lived in a small, filthy, crate deep down in a dark dreary basement. Her living quarters were so small that she didn’t have the typical long beautiful tail feathers like other macaws. She had several broken toes and other broken bones that never received proper medical attention which caused severe foot abnormalities. Lola also had broken wings and was missing her left eye. Besides that, she had a bald patch on the top of her visibly sunken-in head that was the result of severe head trauma. To boot, she suffered uncontrollable seizures caused by bone fragments that were driven into her brain and left eye when part of her skull was crushed. It’s a miracle Lola even survived the abuse of her attackers and some of her injuries were speculated to be the result of a dog attack. It was also reported that when Lola became too noisy, the kids were told to go down and kick her crate to shut her up. Lola’s story is one of many that is becoming more and more common these days.

 

In addition, the result of pet bird over-breeding in the U.S. has become a tremendous problem for exotic bird sanctuaries. One of the predictions parrot sanctuaries made several years ago has sadly become a reality. There are too many parrots being bred and too many impulsive people buying them without the depth of knowledge needed to offer long-term, quality care. As a result, parrots are now sharing the same fate of unwanted cats and dogs. Sanctuaries are over-flowing with unwanted and abused birds. Many are given up due to a new marriage, divorce, a new baby, moving to an apartment or out of state, a new job, allergies, too messy, bird bites and screams all day, owners are growing old and no one will care for their birds once they are gone and illnesses. Birds are doomed to being passed from one owner to another more than any other pet because they are so misunderstood. According to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, there are currently forty to sixty million captive parrots living in American homes. Fewer than five to six million of these pets will find good quality, long term homes. The fate of the rest is dim at best. As in Lola’s case, some suffer severe abuse and neglect.

  

Often, new parrot owners discover their cute cuddly baby bird is no longer cute or cuddly, screams all day, has plucked it’s feathers out and now draws blood every time they try to get close to it. For the most, the lack of understanding their emotional needs and the lack of attention by their owners causes unfavorable manners. Many end up with illnesses and behavioral problems that require a lot of time and work to resolve. Some never get over the trauma they suffered during their lives. There have been reports of larger parrots sending their owners to the emergency room after a severe bite. They are definitely not the pet of choice for everyone. People must take everything into consideration before running out to acquire one of these animals. They can be very dangerous as pets and sometimes no alternative is left but to get rid of the bird or euthanize it.  

 

Above all, the need for a parrot sanctuary in Montana is significant. MPEBS was established as a result of my refusal to give up on the birds that had no advocate in Montana or the surrounding states. Since then, we have traveled the entire nothwest and many volunteers have joined in the efforts of saving birds. There is no distance that is too great if the need be there and if there is a will, then there will always be a way. We work with organizations and humane societies all over the state (i.e. The Humane Society of Western Montana ~ Missoula, Montana, Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter ~ Bozeman, Montana, US Fish & Wild Life department (Division of the US Boarder Patrol) and other organizations nationally. Online, you can find us networked with The Avian Welfare Coalition , pets911.com, Hugs for Homeless Animals ,birdadoption.org , parrotchronicles.com , montanapets.org , greenpeople.org , maars.org , adoptapet.com , avianprotectors.com , worldanimalnet.org , animalliberationfront.com , petsandvets.com , and many many more. We have also been featured in the Montana Standard newspaper. Click the following link to be directed to the story.

http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2006/05/28/featuresbigskylife/hjjdjehchhjiee.txt

 

In conclusion, some of the most rewarding moments of my life has been; saving parrots that otherwise would be abused or left to die, witnessing a vicious bird turn around and become a loving member of a family, and the completion of a successful adoption where a bird is properly cared for and understood for the first time in it’s entire life. I highly recommend going to a bird sanctuary and volunteering before you make the decision to buy or adopt a bird.  As a final thought, throughout all my years of rescuing parrots and operating a parrot sanctuary, I have been faced with the problems resulting in pet bird over-breeding, pet birds becoming homeless, the need for a sanctuary in Montana and the advantages of running a parrot and exotic bird sanctuary. I will continue to reach out and save parrots and exotic birds until I am forced to pass my love and passion for saving the birds onto another loving hand.