I’m sick of it people! I receive emails and subscribe to news feeds that keep me “in the loop” for many Animal Rights issues. A larger part of them relate to Avian Welfare.
I’m sick and tired of the people looking to work with birds for no reason other than to make money and somehow profit off of their lives in captivity. Listen carefully if you’re one of those people – SHAME ON YOU.
- Avian Vets already walk that fine line, with some of them toppling off the other side into the profiteering world of private practices. For all the Avian Vets out there looking to charge $1,000 for an office visit and only getting certified due to the dollar signs involved – SHAME ON YOU.
- Trainers don’t even try to walk that same fine line. There are some cases where training the bird to behave certain ways is beneficial for the bird… I’ve talked about that already. For all the others that think teaching a bird (or any animal) to do stupid tricks is somehow enriching – SHAME ON YOU.
- Behaviorists, that’s another one for ya. Sounds innocent on the surface, but these people aren’t out in the Amazon rainforests trying to reintroduce species on the brink of extinction by studying their behavioral patterns. These people put their money, education and careers on the fact that birds are pets and people will keep them as pets without ever trying to convince people otherwise – SHAME ON YOU.
- Breeders. Without these people, the ones mentioned above would have been out of business in the early 90’s when exotic bird importation became illegal. Breeders are the entire lifeblood of the industry, keeping the rest of the blood-suckers in business. You deserve a special SHAME ON YOU and may you BURN IN HELL for your efforts.
This doesn’t even include the individual people that are just plain stupid, arrogant, egotistical and impulsive enough to buy birds on a whim for some superficial reason and then claim to be a “parrot person”. If you need a friend that badly, here’s a list of activities that might help.
- Church Bingo night
- Singles clubs
- Happy hour
- Sci-fi conventions
- Online video games
- RPG clubs
- Concerts
- Tailgate parties
If you want a non-human friend, get a dog. If that doesn’t work, seek therapy. The fuck makes you think a bird bred to live their life in a cage, putting up with your ignorant crap day after day, pulling their feathers out in frustration and chewing nickel-sized holes in their chest because it’s the only thing they’ve learned in their lives that makes them feel remotely good, is a happy bird?!
Maybe I’ll get another blog entry posted in the future, when I’m less pissed off at the human race…
I am an animal advocate. I not only love, but respect animals... all animals. I have spent several years of my life dedicated to working in animal rescue and now have very little left to lose in expressing my true thoughts and ideals on the subject.
The Avian Welfare Chronicles 
You forgot to mention all those so-called “rescues” who are actually in the rescue BUSINESS….setting up 501 c3s so they can “profit” by taking in unwanted birds and then either selling them or collecting donations on them…and don’t forget all those “do-gooders” who get their strokes from “rescuing” birds and animals!
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Rescuers will still be “in business” if parrots were no longer pets. They can volunteer in Belize, Costa Rica, Brasil, Peru, Guyana, etc. – Tambopata Macaw Project . They can also set up eco-tour groups and conservation efforts in those same areas, like some already do – Foster Parrots. They can host classes and tour schools to teach people about the different species. They can create reintroduction programs – Echo Bonaire
Don’t play the “poor little sanctuary” card with me. I’ve been involved with this for way too long.
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It also kills me to use her words (and you don’t know how much it takes for me to admit anything this person said makes sense) but a former boss of mine once said that the “ultimate goal of a sanctuary is to go out of business for lack of necessity”.
The vets, behaviorists, breeders and trainers don’t want to “go out of business”. The rescues, shelters and sanctuaries do… or should. The need for warehousing birds should no longer exist and the focus could and should switch to education and conservation.
Although you did remind me of a certain place in Colorado that does rescue birds from desperate situations and then turn around and sell them to breeders…
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Well, you are certainly riding a high horse there…and think you have all the answers. Truth is, no one has all the answers…because PEOPLE are the problem! Whether they are the locals who make money from removing parrots from their nests in S. America, or the rescuers with their 501 c 3 living on good donations, or the sanctuaries who are seeking to “get 1000 birds in here” because they think that speaks well for them! None are thinking of the parrots. When you figure out how to convince people to behave better…then you will have the answers.
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