What should I do??? Neglected cockatoos + other animals at local garden store.

[StormyPica]

Wdym?

I deleted the post I just made... sorry... it was just a copy of the email I sent, but my gut told me to delete that post.

 

[HeatherG]

I’m so sorry. I didn’t see your post. I just saw a blank post from another person. Very confusing.
(Stormy Pica was confused about my “?” reply to a blank reply from another member.)

 

[StormyPica]

I’m so sorry. I didn’t see your post. I just saw a blank post from another person. Very confusing.

Oh, same here. Sometimes people respond in the quote? I don think they did that, maybe they deleted what they responded by accident?

 

[bittybo]

You told the last two people who responded to you that their answer wasn’t ok and it seemed like both of us tried to help you. That’s why I asked if you really wanted advice. I WISH I could give you a different answer that would fix the problem you see, but I don’t think there is a solution.

Some people think no one should have animals or birds as pets. They would take away our pet birds for whom we provide quite well. The SPCA has to choose a middle ground somewhere and unfortunately you found where it lies. I hate the trend of “bird in shops”, like living decorations, too. It seems so stressful.

i am not sure where to reply to this thread. i commend you on caring so much about these birds and reptiles you saw in the garden center. not sure of your age but maybe you could ask the store manager if maybe you could come in and care for these cockatoos and reptiles. it might be the manager really has not interest in them at this point. then you could perhaps contact a parrot rescue group and see if they would be willing to take on these 2 birds. its never easy being a teenager or any age because each carries its own set of problems but if you really care about this issue these are a few steps you might take. remember honey always attracts and so be on your sweetest behaviour. if they dont want your interference smile and ask if you may come in the garden center and just interact with the birds because you notice they are plucking which would be due to stress. dont give up, be persistent and always keep smiling. you want to win them over so you can help

 

[StormyPica]

i am not sure where to reply to this thread. i commend you on caring so much about these birds and reptiles you saw in the garden center. not sure of your age but maybe you could ask the store manager if maybe you could come in and care for these cockatoos and reptiles. it might be the manager really has not interest in them at this point. then you could perhaps contact a parrot rescue group and see if they would be willing to take on these 2 birds. its never easy being a teenager or any age because each carries its own set of problems but if you really care about this issue these are a few steps you might take. remember honey always attracts and so be on your sweetest behaviour. if they dont want your interference smile and ask if you may come in the garden center and just interact with the birds because you notice they are plucking which would be due to stress. dont give up, be persistent and always keep smiling. you want to win them over so you can help

I don want this to sound like I am being a jerk (I'm apparently bad at not sounding like a jerk, sorry. I'm not attacking you or anything, Heather, it's the truth, I'm bad at not sounding bad), but the place is an hour away, I'm in middle school, and my parents don't care enough . Sad but true.

 

[bittybo]

i am not sure where to reply to this thread. i commend you on caring so much about these birds and reptiles you saw in the garden center. not sure of your age but maybe you could ask the store manager if maybe you could come in and care for these cockatoos and reptiles. it might be the manager really has not interest in them at this point. then you could perhaps contact a parrot rescue group and see if they would be willing to take on these 2 birds. its never easy being a teenager or any age because each carries its own set of problems but if you really care about this issue these are a few steps you might take. remember honey always attracts and so be on your sweetest behaviour. if they dont want your interference smile and ask if you may come in the garden center and just interact with the birds because you notice they are plucking which would be due to stress. dont give up, be persistent and always keep smiling. you want to win them over so you can help

ok i am very confused about where to reply. if you live an hour away and are unable to seethe cockatoos then try and google some parrot rescues that might be in the general vicinity. parrot people never hesitate to travel so perhaps if you can spark some interest with someone they might be willing to go and check the birds condition out. rescue people are very good at handling birds in rescues most of the time. this way you will at least get the ball rolling. kids in middle school have done some amazing things so dont cut yourself short

 

[StormyPica]

ok i am very confused about where to reply. if you live an hour away and are unable to seethe cockatoos then try and google some parrot rescues that might be in the general vicinity. parrot people never hesitate to travel so perhaps if you can spark some interest with someone they might be willing to go and check the birds condition out. rescue people are very good at handling birds in rescues most of the time. this way you will at least get the ball rolling. kids in middle school have done some amazing things so dont cut yourself short

Not cutting myself short, it's just impossible for me to do. I contacted the SPCA, but shelters around here would give them to a foster who might keep them in the same or worse conditions (Stormy's foster had him in a cage from Walmart that he couldn't even fully open his wings in, with one sandpaper perch).

 

[HeatherG]

I’m so sorry. I didn’t see your post. I just saw a blank post from another person. Very confusing.

Not cutting myself short, it's just impossible for me to do. I contacted the SPCA, but shelters around here would give them to a foster who might keep them in the same or worse conditions (Stormy's foster had him in a cage from Walmart that he couldn't even fully open his wings in, with one sandpaper perch).

Hi Stormy, I’m not bittybo. Bittybo posted the second response that you didn’t like.

I was going to tell bittybo that they were putting a lot of responsibility on you.
But I didn’t.
Now I’m in the middle of this, too.

You did ask for advice. If you don’t agree with or can’t fulfill bittybo’s advice, that’s perfectly ok. You don’t have to take the advice.

 

[StormyPica]

Hi Stormy, I’m not bittybo. Bittybo posted the second response that you didn’t like.

I was going to tell bittybo that they were putting a lot of responsibility on you.
But I didn’t.
Now I’m in the middle of this, too.

You did ask for advice. If you don’t agree with or can’t fulfill bittybo’s advice, that’s perfectly ok. You don’t have to take the advice.

Yeah. i just feel bad if I don respond to people, you know? I worry that it makes them feel ignored, especially a new member. And keeping people up-to-date on what I'm doing is important too.

You, Heather, have been an amazing help to me, and I'm sorry that this feels like anything that you can be "in the middle of". I hope it's not.

I am still waiting for a response from the ASPCA, but I'll keep you updated!

Stormy, you addressed me (heather) in your 5:03 reply. But I didn’t send the message. Bittybo sent the messsge.

Well, I felt like you thought I was being nasty by rejecting ideas in my previous post. What I meant was "Sorry I can sound like such a jerk, I don't mean to and never have, and Heather, if you see this, I'm being genuine and not sarcastic in this comment, and sorry again for sounding rude".

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

**Doles hugs to everyone involved** Hopefully someone can help those poor critters!

 

[HeatherG]

Yeah. i just feel bad if I don respond to people, you know? I worry that it makes them feel ignored, especially a new member. And keeping people up-to-date on what I'm doing is important too.

You, Heather, have been an amazing help to me, and I'm sorry that this feels like anything that you can be "in the middle of". I hope it's not.

I am still waiting for a response from the ASPCA, but I'll keep you updated!

Well, I felt like you thought I was being nasty by rejecting ideas in my previous post. What I meant was "Sorry I can sound like such a jerk, I don't mean to and never have, and Heather, if you see this, I'm being genuine and not sarcastic in this comment, and sorry again for sounding rude

I don want this to sound like I am being a jerk (I'm apparently bad at not sounding like a jerk, sorry. I'm not attacking you or anything, Heather, it's the truth, I'm bad at not sounding bad), but the place is an hour away, I'm in middle school, and my parents don't care enough . Sad but true.

Yeah. i just feel bad if I don respond to people, you know? I worry that it makes them feel ignored, especially a new member. And keeping people up-to-date on what I'm doing is important too.

You, Heather, have been an amazing help to me, and I'm sorry that this feels like anything that you can be "in the middle of". I hope it's not.

I am still waiting for a response from the ASPCA, but I'll keep you updated!

Well, I felt like you thought I was being nasty by rejecting ideas in my previous post. What I meant was "Sorry I can sound like such a jerk, I don't mean to and never have, and Heather, if you see this, I'm being genuine and not sarcastic in this comment, and sorry again for sounding rude".

I didn’t think you were being a jerk or mean. I thought that YOU thought I sent bittybo’s message and I didn’t. So I was trying to clear that up. I am glad you reached out in writing about the store’s conditions and I hope it changes something.

 

[Rozalka]

I'm thinking - LSC2 is a critically endangered species, so how do you think - is there an option that if you say "there are neglected parrots, including one is a critically endangered species" would sound more "dramatic" and someone would start care?

 

[Littleredbeak]

Hello, did you tell the SPCA about the turtles? And maybe try animal control. Could you share the general location?

 

[ravvlet]

Hmm, this is over a month old now, so I don't know if Stormy will have any updates as they said it was quite far away! I do have some advice, though, if this is happening in the US.

The ASPCA (or any SPCA) is a private non-profit. I apologize for not chiming in here when this thread was more recent, but you may have significantly more success contacting your local animal control. Animal control is run by your state or city government and employs agents who are able to legally enforce municipal ordinances involving companion animal care requirements. They are also the agency that will investigate and charge in cases of neglect.

Based on my own experience, if the treatment of said animals is significantly poor enough to be considered neglect (check your state/county codes, they're available online; for example this is my state's codes: https://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=16.52&full=true ) they will cite the store owners with a fine, and that will begin a legal paperwork trail recording that they are non-compliant. There will be a re-check, and if conditions have not improved, animal control officers can get a warrant from a judge to seize the animals and remove them to obtain medical care pending a court case.

Because animals are considered property, sometimes the situations they end up in in foster care are less than ideal, as had happened to your bird. I'm sorry that happened to them, but please remember that it sounds like that would not be any WORSE than their current situation, and in addition, foster is temporary! I hope it will reassure you to know, however, that in most cases animal control works with local specialty rescues when it comes to exotic animals. I know that when the Rutledge case occurred here locally (the terminally ill woman who ran the cockatoo rescue that ended in tragedy), animal control reached out to our county's network of parrot rescuers. I believe the 'too who survived was taken in by someone with a lot of experience, in addition to seeing one of the CAV and being taken in for birdy ICU.

Thank you so much for caring about these animals. It is hard to witness situations like this and know you are fairly powerless to help. If you do not have the time or the bandwidth to attempt contact with animal control I fully respect that, and am additionally leaving this info here for other folks who might run into a similar situation.