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Bird Rescue, Sheltering & Placement
Our Position: The AWC supports bird rescue, shelter, placement, and sanctuary organizations that;
The AWC opposes the exploitation of birds in the care of avian rescue, placement, and sanctuary facilities. We do not support groups that breed, sell, or use birds or other animals for commercial, entertainment, or exhibition purposes. About Bird Rescue, Placement & Sanctuary Organizations Today, a growing number of bird rescue, adoption, and sanctuary organizations are facing the challenge of caring for displaced parrots. Also seeing a rise in the number of unwanted, abused, and abandoned exotic birds entering their facilities, many traditional shelter and animal control organizations are gaining the knowledge and skills to provide suitable care and placement for them. While all of these organizations can use volunteers and donations to help birds in their care, it is important to distinguish reputable animal shelters and avian rescue, placement, and sanctuary organizations from unethical groups that further contribute to the exploitation and suffering of the animals they rescue. Many claim to be rescue or sanctuary facilities but in reality are animal collectors or hobby breeders who simply formed a non-profit organization and began referring to themselves as a refuge for animals. Others operate roadside zoos and menageries that warehouse animals in grossly substandard conditions, breed the animals they rescue, or acquire unwanted animals to use for entertainment or commercial purposes. These pseudo sanctuaries prey on people’s desire to help abused, abandoned, or neglected animals, when in fact, they exploit the animals in their care for their personal gain at the public’s-and the animals’-expense. Before donating, do some research to ensure that your support is going to genuine animal shelter, placement, and sanctuary organizations. Evaluating Excellence and Integrity in Animal Care Practices
If the organizations places animals, it should have firm policies that:
The Golden Rule-Birds First Effective Education & Advocacy Providing refuge and the best care possible for animals in need is one part of the job of professional 501c3 animal rescue and sanctuary organizations. Equally as important is that they have a strong advocacy component to influence social and legislative policy aimed at improving the lives of animals and to inspire individuals to become advocates for the cause. Avian rescue, placement, and sanctuary organizations have a duty to promote awareness and active concern for the plight of parrots in captivity and in the wild through responsible education and public outreach. To be effective, educational messaging must be presented in a manner that conveys facts, offers solutions, encourages a better understanding of the true nature of birds, and speaks to the important concerns surrounding their welfare. To act in the best interests of the birds in their care, reputable organizations:
Public Outreach: It’s Not Entertainment It is imperative that captive birds be provided with habitat enrichment to help them display their full range of natural behaviors and enjoy a more enriched life in captivity. Keeping birds contented, happy, and entertained in their environment is something we all strive for. But there is a difference between birds entertaining themselves in their own surroundings and humans exploiting those behaviors by having birds perform or entertain for profit or self-aggrandizement. While some bird behaviors may be viewed as entertaining to humans, rescue organizations have a moral obligation to refrain from using birds as “entertainment” in public outreach efforts or as a means to attract attention and funding. A frivolous approach is neither a responsible nor productive means of educating the public, since it falls short of providing a complete picture of the complex issues involved in parrot welfare. Also, be wary of groups that hire out birds for entertainment, commercial, or for purely exhibition purposes or that use them to perform in traveling shows or other commercial venues. These are practices commonly employed by commercial entities that profit from animals—and are not consistent with the ethical standards of non-profit animal rescue and sanctuary organizations incorporated to provide refuge and protection for animals in their care. To learn more about distinguishing between legitimate animal care organizations and “pseudo sanctuaries,” read these articles: The Truth About Animal Sanctuaries Animal Sanctuaries and Animal Activism Sanctuary or Scamtuary? By Nicole Paquette, Esq. Helping Animals or Hoarding The medical profession now recognizes animal hoarding as a psychiatric disease that’s closely related to obsessive-compulsive disorder. The Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium (HARC) defines an animal hoarder as a person who has:
Most states do not have clear laws and penalties to control animal hoarding. To help to protect animals in your community, it is important that you learn the facts, understand the local ordinances and laws governing animal care in your community, and report abuse and other violations to humane enforcement authorities. To learn more about the efforts of groups helping birds in need, and what you should know about animal rescue and sanctuary organizations, read the articles below. Temporary Care, Shelter & Placement NEW - Defining “Quality of Life” Within Animal Shelters: The Five Freedoms can serve as a guide to prevent suffering ASPCA Support Avian Welfare Coalition’s Efforts to Improve Treatment of Birds in Shelters Giving feathered friends a lift The AWC Takes Flight at HSUS EXPO 2007! Mayor's Alliance Efforts Spotlight Education Around National Bird Day HSUS Guidelines for Animal Shelter Policies AWC’s Shelter Outreach Program New Shelter Book: It’s for the Birds Flocking Together: Care for Exotic Birds in the Shelter Beaky, Come Home! Eileen McCarthy: Making the World a Better Place for Birds Helping Birds, Rabbits & Ferrets
Permanent Sanctuary Macaws for Alarm: a case in Virginia highlights the need for responsible avian sanctuaries-and for better standards of care for the birds caught up in the pet trade What you can do to help animals in captivity Sanctuary or Scamtuary? Animal Sanctuaries and Animal Activism Placing Your Bird with an Avian Rescue Organization Non-Profit Organizational Development
Animal Hoarding A theoretical perspective to inform assessment and treatment strategies for animal hoarders. Gary J. Patronek & Jane N. Nathanson;Clinical Psychology Review, 2009 (April) 29:274-281 Tufts University -The Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium Behind Closed Doors: The Horrors of Animal Hoarding Animal Hoarding: A public health problem veterinarians can take a lead role in solving, Understanding Hoarding Disorder Loving Animals to Death Animal Concerns Community - Animal Hoarding
Resources: To learn more about the principles and practices of legitimate sanctuary organizations, or if you have questions or concerns regarding an animal care facility in your community, contact these organizations. The Global Federation of Sanctuaries (GFAS) The American Sanctuary Association The Captive Wild Animal Protection Coalition (CWAPC) The World Society for the Protection of Animals Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS) To research a nonprofit organization’s latest International Revenue Service Tax Return, visit Guidestar: The National Database of Non-profit Organizations at www.guidestar.org Learn more about how you can volunteer or donate your time to parrot welfare or start your own captive bird rescue, placement, or sanctuary organization. Click here.
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