The exotic bird trade is a worldwide, billion dollar industry, and in spite of escalating numbers of unwanted and homeless companion parrots, breeders, retailers, and hobbyists continue to breed parrots at an alarming rate. The number of unwanted parrots and reported cases of abuse and negligence continues to grow parallel to the increasing number of birds bred annually.
It is estimated that the average captive parrot lives in at least 5 homes before finding a permanent home or dying prematurely. It is estimated that the average parakeet (budgerigar), whose normal life span is 8 to 15 years, dies within 2 years of birth, usually due to negligence or mistreatment. Parrots, whose life spans average between 25 to 90 years, often die within 5 years for the same reasons. Tragically, the majority of captive birds live in unsuitable and inappropriate conditions that do not provide enrichment and a decent quality of life.
Parrots' long life span exacerbates the "pet" overpopulation problem and makes it difficult to provide them with a secure future. Long lived birds are sold, or handed down to other family members who may not want the bird when his or her guardian dies.
There are few legitimate sanctuaries for unwanted parrots, and the legitimate ones are most often filled to capacity. Testimonials, complaints, and eyewitness accounts of negligence and horrific cruelty in supposed "sanctuaries" are skyrocketing. The pet bird tragedy is reaching epidemic proportions, and effective resources for addressing the problems are limited. There are no federal laws to protect pet birds, and local humane ordinances are weak and not adequately enforced.
Tragically, the exotic bird industry successfully promotes the idea that parrots make good pets. Apartment dwellers, senior citizens and others are all led to believe that parrots would be their ideal companion, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Our Philosophy:
We believe all birds should be protected in their natural habitats and allowed to live freely in the wild without interference from humans and without being exploited and bred for the pet trade. We strongly support and encourage a "no breeding" policy.
While we do not advocate the idea of keeping birds as companions, there are millions of unwanted captive parrots who cannot be released into the wild. Abandoned, unwanted, abused and exploited parrots deserve the same consideration as other wild "exotic" animals that have been rescued and who were formerly exploited by zoos, private citizens, research labs, etc. Because we recognize society's obligation to provide these animals with the best lives possible under the circumstances, we encourage responsible, caring, select individuals who want to share their lives with companion birds to adopt and rescue rather than buy these animals.
Our Goal:
Our goal is to help create a better world for parrots by stopping the exploitation and sale of parrots in chain stores such as PetCo, PetSmart, and Petland. Helping the public understand that parrots are wild creatures who do not belong in captivity will reduce the sale of parrots. This will ultimately decrease the number of unwanted and homeless parrots and prevent unnecessary suffering.
What We Do:
We encourage private citizens, non-profit animal protection organizations, and animal rescue shelters to learn more about the tragic lives of captive birds and the extent of their homelessness and their suffering. We provide educational literature and information to the public, and network with other parrot protection organizations and shelters who share our goals.
