The AWC Takes Flight at HSUS EXPO 2007

Captive birds were high on the agenda at this year’s HSUS EXPO in Dallas, TX May 9-12. 

The HSUS EXPO is the largest educational and training conference for animal care professionals and advocates in the U.S.  This annual event draws more than 1,400 attendees from all over the U.S. and abroad, and the AWC was there as the voice for captive parrots and other birds exploited by the pet trade.

The AWC booth served to generate attention to the many concerns of providing for the protection and welfare of exotic birds in captivity, as well as the need to support legitimate conservation programs aimed at preserving birds in their rightful place in the wild, to all those who attended.   

In addition, Eileen McCarthy, AWC Co-Founder and CEO of Midwest Adoption and Rescue Services (MAARS), conducted a workshop, Wild at Heart: Captive Birds in the Shelter, which covered the basics of caring for exotic birds within a shelter setting.  The unique status of parrots as wildlife—not domesticated animals—presents special challenges to the traditional dog-and-cat oriented shelter. Eileen McCarthy explains, “Our goal is to empower shelter organizations and humane societies to better serve the growing numbers of parrots and other captive birds entering their facilities.” 

An added bonus for the AWC was the opportunity to network and share strategies with representatives from international animal welfare organizations who attended the special program hosted by Humane Society International.  “In fact, the international attendees were especially receptive to the AWC’s educational materials and campaigns such as National Bird Day, says AWC President, Denise Kelly.  The survival of parrots is truly a global concern that requires international cooperation—to improve the quality of life for birds already in captivity as well as to protect those flying wild in their native habitats.”
 
For more information on the Avian Welfare Coalition Shelter Outreach Program, including the publication Captive Exotic Bird Care: A Guide For Shelters, and Caring for Exotic Birds in the Shelter, a hand-on workshop designed especially for animal care professionals, click here.

Celebrate National Bird Day 2008!  For details on you can participate, Visit www.nationalbirdday.org

Eileen McCarthy, AWC Co-Founder and CEO of Midwest Adoption & Rescue Services (MAARS), and Denise Kelly, AWC President and Co-Founder.

The AWC booth highlighted the diversity and international scope of parrot welfare issues. 

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