Photo taken by Foster Parrots founder Marc Johnson
April 1st marks an annual day of giving in Rhode Island known as 401Gives. There are so many wonderful non-profit organizations in Rhode Island to give to, but I want to shed light on one in particular that is doing incredible work to protect unwanted and abused companion parrots and other displaced captive exotic animals.
In the heart of rural Rhode Island exists a very important sanctuary known as Foster Parrots, Ltd. Foster Parrots is a unique non-profit organization that is home to a variety of birds including parrots, lorikeets, cockatoos, cockatiels, lovebirds, parakeets, and other exotic wildlife. It is the largest avian rescue organization in the northeast. As of now, there are hundreds of unwanted and abused companion parrots and other captive exotic animals that have been rescued and are now under the protection of Foster Parrots.
I stumbled across Foster Parrots on my quest for volunteer work that would allow me to work with animals. As a bird lover, Foster Parrots immediately caught my attention and I reached out to the organization for more information on how I could get involved. Within a couple weeks, I was given the opportunity to attend an orientation which ultimately led me to a once weekly volunteer position at the sanctuary.
Although I have only been volunteering for a couple of months, it has been an incredibly eye-opening and heart warming experience. I didn't even know such as place existed and how large scale of an issue captive exotic wildlife was in our tiny corner of the word. But the truth is, unwanted parrots is a crisis.
Did you know that parrots are one of the most frequently abandoned companion animal? So much so that Foster Parrots deals with over 700 surrender requests annually from people who are no longer willing or able to care for their parrots.
There are many reasons why people are unable to care for these birds and from my experience as a volunteer, I can understand the challenge. Much like humans, the necessities of social support, healthy diet, enrichment, and exercise is critical to the survival of these animals. Unfortunately, humans have a poor understanding of what it takes to meet the needs of a parrot.
Salads like the one pictured above are made daily for hundreds of birds. Depending on the type of birds and their dietary needs, salads can include pomegranates, sweet potatoes, kale, mango, bananas, and many other fresh fruits and veggies! We all know how expensive groceries can be these days.
The Foster Parrots sanctuary has over 25,000 square feet of aviaries and open concept spaces that allow these abused, neglected, and abandoned birds to fly, play, and act like birds for the remainder of their lives. Caring for these birds is around-the-clock work.
If you are thinking about giving this Friday, April 1st, I encourage you to please consider donating to Foster Parrots, Ltd. Your donation will directly support the animals at the sanctuary.
We cannot do the work we do without YOU!
Check out the links below to learn more and make a contribution.
