Tuesday morning at 6 a.m., when the phone would obviously not be answered, we received a message from a cowardly man. He used an untraceable number and did not leave any way for us to contact him. He was quite profane and left a rather unintelligible tirade about "rescues" selling their birds for a profit.
We found this behavior to be quite childish and hope that if anyone has any questions or comments about our policies that they contact us during open hours or via e-mail in order to have a discussion. We may end up agreeing to disagree, but that's what communication is all about. We have given careful thought to how we operate, making changes to our policies and procedures when necessary. The guiding principle behind everything we do boils down to what's best for the birds, in general, and also for each specific bird.
We do not profit from the birds. We do charge an adoption fee, but would soon have to close our doors if we relied exclusively on adoption fees, which are often not enough to even cover vet expenses, not to mention the food, toys, and other expenses involved, such as shelter and heat. Every bird stays with us until we find them the best home we can; we never euthanize for space or unadoptability, which means that some birds stay with us for a year or more while waiting for their home. Every bird has a large cage and tons of toys. That's why we have a retail store selling parrot toys, food, cages, and other supplies, and why we ask for donations.
We don't sell birds to anyone with the money. There is an adoption process, and we work closely with people to see if a bird is right for their home. If so, we work to find the right bird for their situation. It bring tears of joy to our eyes when a previously unwanted parrot chooses someone and gets to go home with them. When a parrot is truly happy after so long! That's why we do what we do -- for the birds. They had no say in their lives up until now, and we find them the best possible situation so they can be as happy as possible in captivity.
Additionally, we have behavior consulting services, in an attempt to keep birds in their homes instead of being surrendered to us. If all we cared about was money, we wouldn't do this. We'd encourage them to surrender the bird to us and then sell her to the highest bidder. That's unconscionable and we wouldn't be able to sleep at night.
We hope that this early-morning tirade was not spawned by any untrue rumors circulating about our organization. It's true that people should be careful when dealing with animal rescues as adding a pet to your house is a serious, lifetime commitment, and you want to make sure you're dealing with a responsible organization. We just ask that if anyone has any specific questions or comments they address us directly so we can understand the issue and have a discussion.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Very well said! So sorry to hear you were treated in such a manner. Truly the caller does not understand the important and vital job you do.
Lori,
all I can say is that someone is a coward to handle the call in this matter. He has "NO" true idea of all the great work you do in your organization, that you do what is best for each and every bird in your place. I have been one of the blessed few to find a true companion bird, one who was a throw away pet or its owner felt surrendering it to CARE was the best option for a better life. My sweet little one is a blessing into our home. who loves unconditionally. You give them a bestter start then they first had and find wonderful new homes for them to live out their lives, loved for sometimes the very first time in their lives. Second, that coward has never set foot in your establisment otherwise he would see all the toys in each birds cage, the healthy food some are eating for the first time, and most off all feeling the love of all those who either work there, or volunteer their time to each and every bird in there. Keep up the great work. We, the ones who matter, know the true work you do there. For those who would say such hurtful things should never have the privlege to own one of these beautiful creatures.
terry
thanks for the shring blog
Vis a vis sanded cage paper
ignorant people like that arent even worth the headache, Adoption is a wonderful thing and the process can be quite costly for the rescue or shelter itself. What you guys do is an unbelievable charity and its sad that people complain about an adoption fee when they are saving a life and thats more than worth it.
Post a Comment