From the Parrot Perspective
by Leslie Rugg and Erica Brege
The saying goes, “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” Leslie Rugg, Board of Directors President of The Plumery, a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to creating a haven for parrots, would add, “and if you go ahead and do, it just means someone else has to act responsibly!”
She applies that cautionary aphorism to the fact that people often plunge into an action without thinking about the consequences. When it comes to our desire to populate our homes and families with pets – those animals that each of us feels a bond with – it really behooves us to think hard about the kind of relationship we expect. Are we getting that dog to experience unconditional love and companionship or to substitute for a child? Are we getting that cat for solace or for its streak of independence? Are we getting that snake to scare people or project our bravado?
When it comes to getting a bird, particularly a parrot species, what the heck are we thinking? Have you done your homework? Can you replicate a rainforest? Will the bird fly free in the house or an aviary or will you clip its wings, allegedly for safety? Do you know that a bird’s respiratory system strengthens and maintains systemic health through wing flapping? So that gem of a birdcage that costs as much as the parrot but should house a mouse is nothing more than a deathtrap. Harsh words but true.
Rugg answers the question about what it’s like to live with a parrot by asking whether you’d share your home with a lion, a bear, or an alligator. Sure you can… but should you? That’s what you get in one feathery package, descended from dinosaurs: the loud roar of the lion, the sharp claws of the bear, and the bite of the alligator. Even so, parrots are stunningly beautiful, strikingly intelligent, fiercely emotional and possessive, and prone to self-destruction (feather-plucking) when frustrated. We humans do share some characteristics in being flock/family-oriented, social, and vocal. Even so, parrots are not designed to entertain us, though they can and do. Highly sensitive, they demand constant attention and interaction. Only a few people live a lifestyle that allows them to develop the kind of relationship a parrot craves, deserves, and would have in its natural habitat.
We tend to want our animals to adapt to us rather than recognize we must also adapt to them. And when that doesn’t happen and natural parrot behavior conflicts with human expectations, often the consequence is to relinquish the bird – basically foist it onto someone else. That’s where havens, shelters, refuges, and sanctuaries responsibly intervene, relieving both parrots and humans from unhappy situations. That is a central mission of The Plumery, established because the need is so great. Almost all existing rescues and sanctuaries are filled to capacity; that happens very quickly, demonstrating that more havens are necessary as long as people make impulse buys or find themselves in unanticipated situations such as having to move to a place that does not allow pets or squawking birds.
In some cases, shelters and agencies such as humane societies, designed for dogs and cats, find themselves saddled with a bird they are not prepared to deal with. In one such case, The Plumery and the Humane Society of Ventura County (located in Ojai) are partnering to create a better life for Oliver, an Umbrella cockatoo, who has been like a mascot at the facility for 31 years – about half his life. His cage is located in an office for three staff members, two of whom try to pay attention to him as their work permits. But they have neither the time nor enough knowledge about parrots to satisfy his emotional and social needs. The Plumery’s Executive Director Erica Brege has volunteered to visit Oliver regularly, assess his needs, and help determine a positive plan for finding the right person and home setting for this beautiful bird.
Oliver’s story is by no means unique, yet it does show that even the best intentions don’t always materialize into the best answer for a bird, relinquished at any age, much less Oliver at only six months old. The Plumery, also just six months old, is searching for its ideal location. In the meantime, the Board of Directors, Advisor Panel, and staff are concentrating on community outreach, offering resources, information, education, and fun fundraisers.
Please check out www.theplumery.org and facebook.com/theplumery, and email theplumeryca@gmail.com. Join The Plumery team at The Lynda Fairley Carpinteria Arts Center, 865 Linden Avenue in Carpinteria, on November 5, 12-5 pm for a Santa photo/kids and family opportunity, contacting director@theplumery.org. For information about Oliver, also contact director@theplumery.org.
