What you can do: •Ratherthanpurchasingbirdsfrompetstores orbreeders,adoptcompanionbirdsfrom

reputablesanctuariesorthroughbirdreferraladoptionprograms.

•Keepawatchfuleyeonyourlocalpetstores andreportabuseand/orsubstandardconditions

toyourlocalanimalcrueltyofficers.Writeletterstothestoremanagementandletthemknowthatyoudon’tapproveofsellingbirdsandothersmallanimals.Letthemknowyouwillboycotttheirstoresuntiltheystopsellingliveanimals.

•Seektolearnmoreaboutpropercareandguardianshipofcompanionbirdssoyoucanspotandreportabuse.Educateothersabouttheplightofcaptivebirds.

•Althoughsomedomesticatedbirdshavebeenknowntosurviveaftertheirreleaseintothewild,neverreleaseanexoticcaptivebirdintothewild.Innearlyallinstancesthesebirdssufferfromtheelements,areattackedbypredators,orstarvetodeathbeforedyinganagonizingdeath.

•Writeletterstoyourlegislatorsandaskthemtocreateandstrengthenlawsthatwillprotectcaptivebirdsfromabuseandnegligence.

To learn more visit:www.idausa.org

AllphotoscourtesyofMarcJohnson

Warning: Graphic Photos Enclosed

The “Pet” Bird

In Defense of Animals3010 Kerner Blvd.San Rafael, CA 94901415-388-9641

Petstoresandbreedersgivetheconsumerthefalseimpressionthatahand-fedbabyparrotisguaranteedtoremainloveableandcuddlyforever.Captive-bredandhand-fedbabyparrotssharethesamewildtraitsastheircousinswholiveinthejunglesandrainforests.Mostbirdswillresortbacktotheirwild,“untamed”stateifnothandled

regularly.Evenwithregularhandlingandgoodsocialization,aparrotmaybecomeaggressive,territorial,andstartbitingwhen

he/shereachessexualmaturityandhormonallevelschange.

Mostretailersandbreedersneglecttotellconsumersthatparrotsexhibitnaturalwildtraits.Screaming,chewing(fromfurnituretoelectricalcords)andbitingaretraitsthatallparrotsshare.

Millionsofexoticbirdsarecaught,bred,andsoldannuallyforthepettrade.Someofthosebirdsarecaughtinthewild.Othersarecaptivebredinunnatural,overcrowdedwarehouses.Bothcircumstancesultimatelyleadbirdstouncertainfuturesandmoreoftenthannot,tragicandpainfullives.

Afterleavingthewarehouses,birdsaretransportedunderstressfulconditionstopetstoreswheretheyareoftencaredforbyyoung,inadequatelytrainedemployees.Somebirdsareleftunattendedwithoutfoodandwaterforseveraldayswhenpetshopemployeestaketheirdaysofforiftheycallinsick.Manypetstorestreatbirdslikemereinventoryanddon’tprovidethebirdscomfortableenvironments,adequatediet,ormedicalcarewhentheyareillorinjured.

BC-06

Multiple Homes -Long LifespansLargespeciesofparrotscanliveupto85years.Somesmallerparrotscanlive25to50years.Mostpeopledon’tconsidertheirbird’slifespanasitrelatestotheirown.Thelonglifespanofparrotsaddstothecomplexitiesandtragediesofkeepingparrotsaspets.Manyparrotswilloutlivetheirguardians,leavingthebirdsmoreoftenthannot,homeless.Familymembersareleftwiththeburdenofsurrenderingorfindingahomeforthedeceasedrelative’sbird.

Theintellectuallevelofmanyparrotsisequaltoa3to5yearoldchild.Keepingaparrotissimilartocaringforahumantoddlerfortherestofyourlife.Thisisoneofmanyreasonswhyparrotseventuallyendupunwantedandarelefthomeless.Itisestimatedthatnearlyallparrotswillbeinatleastfivehomesbeforetheydieprematurelyorfindapermanenthome.

A Hidden CrisisOncetheconsumerexperiencestheinherenttraitsoftheirwildpet,thesebirdsareoftenplacedbehindcloseddoorsformonths,years,orevendecades-ingarages,basements,orclosets.Thesehiddenbirdsmaylanguishintinycages,darkrooms,garages,basements,orclosets;suffering,lonely,starvinganddying.Unliketheneglectedorabuseddogorcatinthebackyardwhosecaringneighborsmaywitnesstheabuseandcallauthorities,thesebirdswillrarelyifeverbeaffordedthatkindofrescue.

Lack of Proper Diet and CareCountlessbirdsaredeniedthemostbasicneedssuchascompanionship,adequatehousing,flight,andanutritionallybalanceddiet.Theincidenceofdeathandillnessfrommalnutrition,abuse,andpoorhousingishigh.Sadly,storiesofbirdsstarvingtodeathordyingfromdehydrationbecausesomeoneforgottofeedand/orwaterthem,arecommon.

Physical and Emotional SufferingTragically,bythetimeunwantedbirdsreachashelterorsanctuarytheyareoftenalreadyshowingsignsofstressandsufferfromminortolifethreateninghealthproblems.Severeemotionaldisturbancesand/orinsanitysuchasself-mutilation,obsessivecompulsivebehaviors,uncontrollablescreaming,orsevereinhibition,areonlyafewofthetraitsthattraumatizedbirdsexhibit.Thesebehaviorsareoftenirreversible,makingitextremelydifficulttoplacethesebirdsinnewhomes.

Muchlikeprimates,birdsrequirestrongsocialinteractionforemotionalwellbeing.However,manypeopledon’toffertheirbirdacompanionbird,fearingtheirbirdwilllosehis“petquality”ifgivenamate.However,withbusyschedulesandlongworkhours,mostpeoplelackthenecessarytimetooffertheirbirdregular,essentialemotionalstimuliandcompanionship.Consequently,manypetbirdshaveneverbeenaffordedthesimplebutnecessarypleasureofsocializingwiththeirownspeciesandsufferfromlonelinesstheirentirelives.

OverpopulationBreeders,retailers,andhobbyistscontinuetobreedparrotsatanalarmingratedespiteescalatingnumbersofunwantedandhomelesscompanionparrots.Manyunwantedbirdsendupinclassifiedads,ontheinternet,orateventscalledbirdmartswherebirdsaresoldandtradedlikeusedcars.Manyzoosreceivehundredsofcallsannuallyfrompeoplewantingtorelinquishtheirbirds.Unfortunately,mostzooscannotaccommodatethem.Theeuthanasiarateofhomelessbirdsisontherise.

Manyshelterswillnotacceptbirds.Someso-calledparrot“sanctuaries”areactuallybreedersorhoarderswhoacceptsurrenderedbirdsforthesolepurposeofenhancingtheirbreedingstock.Ofthefewreputablebirdsanctuariesthatexistacrossthecountry,manyareovercrowdedandcannotacceptmorebirds.

Sothatasmallpercentageofresponsiblepeoplecanhavethefewbirdsthattheywillundoubtedlyloveand

“properly”carefor,millionsofotherbirdswillsufferanddieprematurely.

Althoughmanyparrotbreedersandpetstoresacknowledgethehighmortalityrateof“pet”birds,andacknowledgetheskyrocketingnumberofhomelessbirds,theycontinuetobreedatanalarmingrate.