Last Updated on February 16, 2023 by Mitch Rezman

S***h writes

 

Dear Mitch, I was glad that you put that sick animal abuser in his or her place when you responded to the “Duct taped Cockatoo” post.

 

I once rescued a poor blue and gold that was up in a tree for three days.

 

Its owner was absent and I believe that she was mentally ill, but that’s no excuse for the perch that I found on the apartment property that had lots of duct tape where the parrot perched and the amount of neglect that I saw that the poor Macaw had been through.

 

I’d like to remain anonymous if you refer to this post because I brought the parrot to the ER where the founder of the bird rescue that I was helping worked.

 

The poor bird was covered in some sort of soot or oil.

 

He was filthy.

 

I had gotten a call from the local pet store in the area who had gotten a call from a concerned neighbor and I mistakenly left my phone number for the owner who harassed me regularly.

 

We never returned the bird to her and once I gave it to the now current owner who was a nurse and experienced parrot owner, I had done my job in rescuing it from a dangerous situation. 

 

I have almost gotten myself arrested after trying to help four plucked naked and freezing mated pairs of blue and golds that had no perches, food or toys in their outdoor makeshift cages and rats running through.

 

 

The owner was dying and I was trying to get them to the rescue in San Francisco for much-needed medical attention when the owner’s daughter called me to say that she was going to have me arrested if I didn’t bring them back that night.

 

I had previously called the humane society to document the neglect and horrible conditions but to no avail.

 

I wasn’t planning on stealing the woman’s “property,” I was just trying to get them into a safe and secure location until the woman decided what she was going to do with them.

 

I was willing to have papers signed to that effect.

 

I have learned the hard way that you can’t change people or at times even try to take matters into your own hands even if it is for the welfare of the animal.

 

Until we animal lovers are able to pass stricter laws and prosecute animal abusers, I’m Sad to say that there is little that we can do other than to try to convince the owners that their parrot would be better off with a new home or in a rescue situation.

 

Thanks for educating parrot owners with your blogs.

 

All the best, S****h 

 

Hi S****h,

 

Animal rescue in general and bird rescue in specific can be a slippery slope.

Last month we rescued a 15-year-old African ringneck from the household of a woman that had passed of cancer with no plans.

 

Fortunately, the caregiver gave us access to the birds and we were able to rehome five of the seven privately with two going back to Pennsylvania accompanied by a woman who operates the biggest bird shows in 2 Pennsylvania and Ohio so we knew that they would find a proper home.

 

I would file all of your heroic efforts in bird rescue under “no good deed goes unpunished”.

 

I am working on albeit, slowly a peer-to-peer rescue using a private network as I feel the bird rescue process is broken.

 

Best of luck.

mitchr 

 

 

Hi Mitch,

Thanks for writing back.

 

I helped get $5,000 worth of donations to people and a parrot rescue last year during the Northern California wildfires and I’ve been pretty much doing my own rescue of birds for twenty four years. 

 

I have an amazingly sweet cockatiel who is 26, a 15-year-old cockatiel, a ten-year-old Timneh Grey and an eighteen-year-old green-winged Macaw who I rescued at fledgling age.

 

I also do peer to peer rescue these days as The Wing Foundation is no longer in operation. 

 

Dana Strome who founded The Wing Foundation in San Francisco now owns a responsible parrot store called Parrot Planet in Sacramento CA.

 

She has responsible and decent breeders if you can call a breeder that and she still helps to rehome parrots.

 

I live in San Anselmo CA across the bridge from San Francisco.  

 

I went to school thirty years ago in Chicago and sang jazz and blues in Chicago. 

 

I was lucky to get to sing at Kingston Mines.

 

I miss the incredible blues scene in Chicago and I haven’t been back since 1990. 

 

Time flies.

 

I hope that you and your flock are well.  I enjoy reading your Sunday Birdie Brunch.

 

All the best, S***h

 

I may reach out once I get my private bird rescue network  idea solidified

 

stay tuned