MAARS needs your help to create a new sanctuary that provides space for flight. Your support is vital for giving the birds an environment that can better meet their unique needs than the current location.
From the Avian Welfare Coalition:
Growing numbers of parrots and other exotic birds who are in distress and require immediate shelter or emergency medical care are landing at shelters nationwide. In many cases, personnel at traditional dog-and-cat oriented shelters may be unfamiliar with the special housing, dietary, handling, and veterinary needs of these birds. AWC to the rescue! Our dedicated Avian Shelter Outreach Program www.avianwelfare.org/shelter_outreach.htm - the first and only of its' kind - offers shelters a number of FREE downloadable "How-To" guides and a webinar series on how to provide for the specialized care of parrots and other exotic birds within a shelter setting. Our resources are tailored for use by animal shelters and avian care facilities and cover a wide variety of topics - housing, feeding, medical, quarantine, enrichment, and placement.
Smoke alert, Twin Cities: your pets are breathing this too. 🐾
The air outside is in the hazardous range right now, and if it's rough on you, it's even more difficult for your pets.
Bird owners, this one's especially for you. Birds have incredibly efficient respiratory systems, which means they pull in more of what's floating in the air, smoke included. It's the same reason canaries once warned miners of danger. Keep your birds in an interior room away from windows and doors, run an air purifier if you have one, and skip anything that adds to the load: candles, aerosol sprays, and nonstick cookware fumes. Watch for tail bobbing, open-mouth breathing, wheezing, or unusual quietness, and call us right away if you see any of these.
For dogs and cats: keep walks short (bathroom breaks only until this clears), skip fetch and outdoor play, and bring outdoor cats inside. Flat-faced breeds, senior pets, and pets with heart or airway conditions need extra caution.
Stay inside, stay safe, and give your critters a little extra love today. 💙
Safety tips from the AVMA: www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/emergencycare/wildfire-smoke-and-animals
When featured bird Sam, an Eleonora Cockatoo, arrived at MAARS in 2002, he came with a reputation for being aggressive. As we got to know him, however, a different story began to emerge. Sam was blind. Without the ability to see the people and activity around him, the world could be an unpredictable place. What many had interpreted as aggression was often fear and uncertainty from a bird trying to navigate situations he couldn’t fully understand.
Blindness doesn't reduce a parrot's capacity for social interaction. Blind parrots benefit from tailored enrichment to stimulate senses and encourage exploration—tactile toys let them feel and manipulate objects with beak and feet. With patience and practice, these birds learn and respond as well as sighted parrots. Using non-visual cues—verbal prompts and touch—helps you build a strong bond and boost their confidence navigating their environment. Here, Sam plays in his toy bin.
www.maars.org/support-sam
#MAARS #Parrots #Sanctuary #Cockatoos #Nonprofit
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