Please STOP Overbreeding!

I run a rescue/sanctuary and am literally overwhelmed by the calls and emails that I receive from people who wish to relinquish their birds. There are certain birds that are exhaustingly overbred, and then there are birds that really should not be bred for captivity period.

Throughout the years I have met breeders who educate the potential owners on responsible bird ownership and those who do not. Perhaps many do not know the consequences of overbreeding or the breeding of certain species who do not thrive well in captivity.

At this time we are filled to capacity. Being filled to capacity means something different for each rescue and sanctuary. I do not allow more than 30 birds here at any given time because it would mean that the birds are not receiving the care and attention that they need and deserve otherwise. There are many "mom and pop" rescues and sanctuaries opening up because of the increasing numbers of displaced birds. Many of these mom and pop rescues mean well, but are not equipped, funded, or educated enough to properly care for them. But when 501c3 rescues and sanctuaries are filled to capacity and have waiting lists for birds who need to be relinquished, these mom and pop rescues are the only answer for some who cannot wait in line on a waiting list.

Because of the ease of breeding parakeets, cockatiels, quakers, lovebirds, and other small birds such as these, these birds have become grossly overpopulated. Even if I wanted to, at times I wouldn't be able to GIVE these birds away. There are just not enough homes out there. And even fewer homes are available for such high maintenance birds such as cockatoos. In my experiences, I have yet to meet anyone who has kept a cockatoo for longer than ten years. These birds were not meant to be kept in captivity. They are loud and destructive, not only to furniture but to themselves as well.

I plead with EVERY breeder out there. We have a serious problem with displaced birds. Please discontinue the overbreeding of these overpopulated species and those who really do not thrive well in captivity.

Snowball's Chance

Below is a link to the San Diego Union-Tribune article written by Adam Loberstein regarding cognitive music studies with Snowball as the subject of study and led by Dr. Ani Patel of the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, California.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080814/news_1c14bird.html

Below is the video that accompanies the article.

http://video.signonsandiego.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=2073032&item_index=2&all=1&sort=NULL

Proventricular Dilation Disease (PDD)

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, have identified a virus behind the mysterious infectious disease that has been killing parrots and exotic birds for more than 30 years. Click on the link to read full story...

http://pub.ucsf.edu/newsservices/releases/200807295

Thank You!

Snowball the dancing cockatoo, a sanctuary bird here at Bird Lovers Only Rescue, became globally famous toward the end of September of 2007 when the video of him dancing to a Backstreet Boys tune became viral and traveled around the world. I'd received many thousands of emails, calls, and letters since then. I remember one email in particular from a family member of an elderly woman in the hospital. This family member emailed us asking for a DVD of Snowball because it made her elderly mother laugh. The followup email which we received recently is below.

Dear Birdlovers,

I and my family wish to thank you for Snowball. The DVD you sent for our mother to enjoy last fall gave her many months of laughter. She watched Snowball for the last time the evening before she quietly passed in her sleep. She was able to die with dignity in our home. Our mother suffered from many ailments including depression and she was wheelchair bound at the end. But that didn't stop her from tapping and bobbing with Snowball. I have to stress that in the last years of her life there wasn't much that made her laugh. Then Snowball came along and it was as if she had found a happy pill. Please give Snowball a kiss from all of us for putting a little laughter in our mother's heart. May God bless all of you - especially Snowball.

Names have been omitted to ensure the family's privacy.

Fundraiser at Steak n Shake

We will have a fundraiser at Steak n Shake on Sunday, July 27th from 12 noon until 8pm. Please print out the vouchers below and bring them with you on the day of the event. Steak n Shake will donate 20% of the amount you spend on your meal to us, but you need to bring your vouchers with you. Thank you so very much for participating in our fundraising event!!!

http://birdloversonly.org/img/SS_July27.pdf
http://birdloversonly.org/img/SS_July27.JPG

Steak n Shake is located at 312 North US 41 in Schererville, Indiana

"Come To The Edge"

Dr. Kim Bloomer of Animal Talk Naturally on Blog Talk Radio http://www.blogtalkradio.com/animaltalknaturally wrote a poignant piece on animal care and responsible ownership. We all too often seek things to fulfill our lives to make us happy without researching what it is that will make the pets happy and healthy. Although I believe that people are well-intentioned in wanting to provide a good home for a bird, they often times purchase a bird on impulse without researching what it takes to make the bird happy and healthy. Birds are extremely intelligent, needy, and demanding. They are excellent at masking their illnesses so there is no way of telling whether the bird is healthy by appearance alone. Birds need to be checked by an avian vet yearly, they need to have plenty of out of cage time, they need a variety of healthy foods to eat, and they need to have plenty of different toys to keep them interested while they are in their cage.

Please go to this link to read Dr. Kim Bloomer's article. www.birdloversonly.org/docs/Edge.doc

Investigating the human-specificity of synchronization to music

Below is the link to the scientific paper "Investigating the human-specificity of synchronization to music" on Snowball's cognitive music studies lead by Dr. Ani Patel at the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, California.

http://birdloversonly.org/docs/Patel.pdf