Summary
This project will help Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue pay for veterinary care for rescued birds across the greater San Francisco Bay Area. We are a nonprofit with a 100% volunteer staff, and our veterinary bills are $15,000-$20,000 per month. We exist because most Bay Area shelters are well equipped to handle dogs and cats, but cannot accept parrots or pet songbirds.
What is the issue, problem, or challenge?
In these difficult economic times, many pets are being given up because their owners are no longer able to care for them. Most animal shelters are designed to house cats and dogs, and are unable to accept domesticated birds like parrots. We are an all-volunteer organization, with more than 300 birds in our care. Many of the birds come to us injured, abused, neglected, or are very ill. We believe these birds deserve a second chance.
Read more here. Mickaboo's FaceBook page can be found here.
I've never had a parrot because of the complication of how long they live and the piece of me that feels unwilling to support taking a wild thing and caging it. Dogs and cats are different, as they've been domesticated for years. But parrots ... you just don't know where that baby came from. (Although banding does tell you ... still.)
ReplyDeleteI was friends with a scarlet who had been pronounced 'mean' at a petstore and used to go see her every day when I lived nearby. I hate that petstores sell birds, and would never have bought one there no matter what, but I adored her.
It's so hard to see a scarlet macaw so stressed that all the feathers are gone. (I'm assuming she picked all her feathers out.) I wish I wasn't unemployed!
I've had 2 birds in my life - both of them from people who couldn't or didn't want them any longer.
DeleteBernie was the first - a cockatiel who was owned by a single cop who got married, became a father of a human and Bernie didn't like that arrangement - he dive bombed the kid and wound up with me. He lived for 15 years and was a sweetheart. He sang me the most beautiful songs while looking directly into my eyes.
Millie is a small parrot and has a completely different personality than Bernie. She was owned by a single man who decided to get a dog and no longer wanted Millie (he had her for 4 years). He was very monk like with few friends, so Millie is not the most personable bird. It took some time before she got used to me and the 2 dogs way back when, but she is adaptable. She is now 18 and her life span is about 35 years.
Millie was bred in California - I have her hatch certificate. She's a Gemini and she rules the household - Kylie is afraid of her when she starts banging her toys against the cage, which she's out of most of the day. I'm going to write a book about her and call it Millie and The Big Lady. The Big Lady is Mother Nature/Goddess, of course and Millie has a direct pipeline to Her. She reports all of my infractions to TBL either directly or via her Administrative Assistant, the Hummingbird. Maybe I'll hire you to do the illustrations!
Oh that sounds wonderful! I love the idea of a book about Millie!
DeleteI have to admit I love parrots ... love them. It's cool to have a hatch certificate. I'm realizing I don't know much about the whole bird thing at all.
When I lived in Sedona, there was a rescue for years done by the Buddhist temple, but they moved it a year or so before I left. (Just when I'd gotten my schedule to the point to volunteer!)
Here's something in Portland for you: http://www.rescuebird.com/
ReplyDeleteSedona is such a beautiful place - I seriously love Arizona (except for Phoenix) and often contemplate moving there, just for the way the Earth is there. I love the colors of Arizona. And the spaciousness. And the food. And the cultures. But I don't like their politics and I'm not sure I could live that far inland, away from the ocean. Baja California Sur is probably a better bet for me!
I am so going to do this. I really can't wait to move. I've got to start a list of things I want to do in Portland because I'm going to lose track of them. How cool.
DeleteI used to joke that I was so left-leaning that I balanced the State of Arizona and that wasn't easy to do. ;) The politics are rough. Although they're a mixed bag in Cali, too, as I know from working on Prop 8 a few years ago. That was so rough.
Big Sur is incredible. I love tidepools especially. And I've lived landbound and am really not interested in more of that at the moment. It's the ocean for me.(Although I could probably cope with a place that had lakes or rivers.)
Thanks for this!
I watch cooking shows. What does that have to do with my reply? Well, I'm watching Anthony Bourdain in - PORTLAND. Oregon, not Maine. You must add the following to your "list" (on Tuesday):
DeleteVoodoo Doughnuts
http://voodoodoughnut.com/
http://velveteria.com/
Black velvet paintings (I know - eye roll!
Pizza - yes, pizza
http://apizzascholls.com/
Portland underground
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/or-shanghai.html
Link to the show - it's the first half hour and then on to Seattle, which I am missing as I am typing this reply!
http://www.travelchannel.com/tv-shows/anthony-bourdain/episodes/pacific-northwest
Soooo cool! Thank you! (I love cooking shows.)
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