May - June 2004, Pet Lovers Digest, by John Geary

Pop into a local pet store and there is a good chance you'll see birds ranging from small budgies and cockatiels to larger parrots like Amazons, cockatoos, and perhaps even Macaws, all for sale.

Like every other animal sold as a pet, birds face the problem of abandonment. However, birds - especially larger birds like parrots - are abandoned more often than cats, dogs, hamster, etc. because many people do not realize how much special care birds require. Six months or a year after their purchase, people may feel overwhelmed and want to opt out of their commitment.

Abandonment can take many forms: giving the bird to a shelter, re-selling them, giving them to friends or relatives, or in the worst case scenario, letting them loose to survive on their own. However, one group in the Vancouver area is doing all in its power to help unwanted companion birds find new homes: the Greyhaven Exotic Bird Sanctuary.

Located in Surrey, Greyhaven is a federally registered, non-profit society that specializes in parrot rescue, refuge and adoptions. Staffed completely by volunteers, Greyhaven's primary focus is to rescue, rehabilitate and care for and place injured, orphaned, abandoned, and abused exotic birds.

If you have a bird, or know of a bird that needs to be taken to Greyhaven, the first thing you have to do is make a phone call. For health reasons, the sanctuary will not accept birds that just "show up" unannounced.

"We first need to find a foster home or quarantine home for the bird," says Melanie Walker, society president. "Quarantine is 45 days, and takes place in a volunteer's home, off-site. After that, we either keep the bird at the sanctuary or foster it in a loving home until it is adopted."

Greyhaven does not euthanize birds (nor does it breed them). While Greyhaven makes every attempt to find a permanent, loving home, if a home cannot be found, the sanctuary will look after the bird for its remaining years.

Greyhaven also works to educate the public about exotic bird care. The society recently participated in the Vancouver Pet Expo, hosting a booth and giving talks and seminars about specific programs and companion birds in general. They also make visits to schools, speaking to groups like Scouts Canada and the Young Naturalists.

Like all non-profit organizations, Greyhaven can always use more volunteer assistance. There are several ways volunteers help out: working a shift at the sanctuary, providing quarantine and/or foster homes for birds awaiting adoption, assisting with fund-raising, working at public education/outreach events, or serving on the board of directors. Experience handling birds is a plus, but not a necessity.

"Ideally, it would be great if you have experience, but it's (usually) not necessary," says Walker. "In some cases, if the bird is a larger bird, it would need to be in a home where someone has had experience handling larger birds. But we go through an extensive training process for fostering and for people working shifts at the sanctuary."

If you do not have the time to volunteer, you can help out by purchasing a membership, sponsoring a bird, or by donating money or art work and crafts that can be sold to help raise funds for food, medical costs and education expenses.

In addition to the ever-present need for more volunteers, other big challenges facing Greyhaven include space (or lack of it) and funding.

To find out more about Greyhaven, log on to www.greyhaven.bc.ca where you will find an online membership form you can fill out. You can e-mail the society at info@greyhaven.bc.ca or reach them by phone at 604.878.7212. You can also visit the sanctuary, which is open to the public on weekend afternoons (call for directions).

John Geary is a Vancouver-based freelance writer,
a PIJAC Certified Avian Specialist and a regular
contributor to Pet Lovers Digest. He shares his
life with Congo African grey parrots, Nikki and Coco.