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In The Media
Sanctuary Finds Homes for Feathered
Friends
28 November 2004,The Province, by Frank Luba
CREDIT: Ric Ernst, The
Province
Spook is a permanent
resident at the exotic bird
sanctuary.
One
eye, few feathers but lovely
personality
Spook loved Ric. It didn't take long for the
Patagonian parrot, who seems to
like men better than women, to
land on a shoulder.
Maybe it was photographer Ric
Ernst's shiny lenses that did
the trick, but pretty soon Spook
was following him all around
Surrey's Greyhaven Exotic Bird
Sanctuary.
When the photographer braved
the cockatiels' aviary for some
close-up pictures, Spook hung on
the outside of the aviary
shrieking and squawking.
How can you can you not love
that, even if Spook's wicked
looking beak looks like it could
crack the Hope Diamond?
Spook, who has only one eye,
has plucked out half of his
feathers. He started doing it
when his owner kept leaving him
to travel on business.
The owner finally decided to
give Spook to Greyhaven, where
he is one of three permanent
residents.
Not all of the birds at
Greyhaven have problems like
Spook but they all need care,
attention and eventually, a new
home.
That's why Greyhaven exists.
"We're the only one in Canada
that we're aware of that has a
sanctuary," said Cindy Koch, a
director of the all-volunteer
Greyhaven that takes in budgies,
lovebirds, cockatiels and bigger
birds that have been discarded.
"All of us just love these
little guys," said Koch. "Why do
people do dog and cat rescues?"
she added.
"Because they love them. I
love dogs, I love cats. For
whatever reason, birds are just
something a little special."
Some 40 to 60 birds at a time
live at the Greyhaven sanctuary.
Their veterinary bills will
be close to $9,000 this year,
with repairs and equipment
costing another $6,000 annually.
The birds go through about $200
worth of food per month.
Greyhaven is a charitable
foundation, if you want to help.
For more information:
www.greyhaven.bc.ca.
E-mail:
info@greyhaven.bc.ca | 
