The latest news from a Refuge for Saving the Wildlife.
May/June Poopscoop
We have both sad and happy events to share in this edition of the newsletter.
We had to say goodbye to Coco (AKA Chicky), who passed away in May. She was such a sweetheart who will be missed by everyone. Although it remains a mystery as to what toxic item Coco actually ingested, it serves as a reminder to all that if you see something even remotely questionable in a bird’s cage, please remove it and bring it to Rich and/or Karen’s attention immediately.
We’ve had two adoptions during the past month. Congrats to Professor and Vito, who’ve both found their forever homes! Vito was adopted by the same family who adopted Jackie and Professor went to a family that has other birds as well. We wish both Greys much happiness with their new families!
Our first annual 10-Mile Walk to Support the Parrots was a HUGE success! Thanks to everyone’s participation, we were able to raise a shocking total of $7,200.00!!!
Special thanks to Ryan C. for donating the great shirts for our walk!
Chicago Tribune Article
By Mary Daniels
Tribune staff reporter
June 10, 2007
Rich Weiner's life is for the birds. So is his house. But he can't imagine having it any other way, he says.
From the outside, Weiner's Northbrook home looks like any nice, bilevel suburban house. But step inside and it is unlike any other interior the visitor has ever seen. The walls are lined, dining room, living room, kitchen, with large stainless steel cage after cage. Each is occupied by a parrot: African greys, umbrella cockatoos, the occasional oddball macaw.
But you are soon charmed by the singular sensation of having 70 birds, from atop their cages, or their doors, politely tell you "hello" as you walk by. Some begin to squawk, starting off a chain reaction until the noise level pierces the brain like an auditory ice pick. The cockatoos slowly lift their feathered crests, like gentlemen their hats as you pass. (Weiner says it can mean anything from excitement to aggression.)
Displaced Parrot-Family Birds Find Home
Thursday, December 06, 2007 | 10:19 AM
Recently at Chicago's Department of Animal Care and Control, two unusual birds were turned in - a scarlet macaw and an Amazon parrot.
It seems it would be almost impossible to find new homes for creatures like this, except for an organization called "A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife" in Northbrook.
For homeless macaws, cockatoos and other birds of the parrot family, this place is a second chance at a new life.
"We do parrot rescue," said Richard Weiner, executive director of "A Refuge for Saving Wildlife." "Just like dogs and cats, but we do it for the birds . . . a lot of birds that are out there getting displaced because of death or 'I just don't want them anymore.'"
PetsMart Investigation
Sick Birds at PetsMart
I just read the following through a group on the Internet. I realize that most of us don't purchase our birds, but some shop at PetsMart. I haven't followed up on the details, but I thought it important enough to pass along:
Possibly someone here has more information than I do, but apparently Petsmart stores in at least three states (Minnesota, Washington, and Georgia) have reported having birds in their stores test positive for psittacosis. A Petland store in Minnesota also reported psittacosis. I don't know if this is any more widespread, but given that Petsmart tends to get many of its birds from a bird mill operation in Florida, it's quite likely that more stores than these received sick birds; these are just the ones I could find reporting sick birds from a quick Google check. If anyone here has purchased a bird recently from a Petsmart, I would seriously recommend going to an avian vet and testing for psittacosis.
