The Parrots' Umbrella Give to the Max 2019

We have been busy! Last year, we expanded our programs, and it shows. 

Some of our new flock members are:

Mickey: A wild-caught bare-eyed cockatoo rescued by a fantastic couple from living in a dog crate. Mickey was terrified and fear aggressive, and he  was found to have a serious heart condition and vision impairment. He was transferred to TPU's sanctuary program where he will live out his life as he chooses. Mickey has been teaching humans how to speak "bare-eyed", and his sweet calls are returned with well intentioned honks and squawks every morning and night. He is adored. Mickey needs a sponsor to help cover his medical needs and specialized enclosure.

Jax: gentle green Indian Ringneck who is looking for a patient home where he can fly with a flock. He has a bit of a messed up beak, probably from a battle with a bigger bird in a previous home, but it doesn’t hinder his foraging skills. He is a beautiful flyer and loves spending his days in a flock with birds his size and smaller. Jax was an emergency surrender with several other birds.

Spirit: a female Moluccan cockatoo who is a true beauty both inside and out. Spirit spent her whole life with one family who proactively placed her before they retired and moved. They loved her dearly and it shows.  Spirit is a busy, busy, busy, bird. She needs a home where her looks, personal space, and noise will be respected, where someone is home most of the time and has room for her cage and places for her in every room. She deserves a place that won’t fight and doesn’t argue, and who realizes a bird with feather issues is a lifelong process not something to fix. She deserve a family that adores her and takes her  antics with humor and gentle redirection. She is a very, very good bird for the right family.

JayJay: Boarding, food, and vet bills for JayJay, a cratchety old Blue-Fronted Amazon, whose parront adores him but couldn't find anyone to watch him due to JayJay's, er, cratchety behavior, when he deployed. JayJay is being fostered free of charge for two years while his parront is in the Middle East. Bandaids are provided to the foster family.

M and Tiki: Tiki became M's Emotional Support Animal after he completed over 6 months of action planning with TPU to ready his home and self for an ESA. M has continuous contact with TPU for check-ins and questions, and will have them for support for life.

OUR PROGRAMS:

• Flock Together: Services to prevent surrender due to aging, health issues, transitions, or emergencies. Includes in-home help on a short or long-term basis, education on adapting to changes in abilities, fostering and boarding help and resources, and more. 
• Flock Support: In-home, personalized support for serious issues that could lead to rehoming.
• Best Life: help for people interested in improving their birds’ lives by providing resources and referrals related to enrichment and environment. 
• Wings and Warriors: Providing transportation for vets to volunteer at local rescues. Boarding for deployed military. ESA birds included here for vets and people with disabilities. 
• Feed the Flock: Nutrition outreach program for parrot guardians, as well as educating clients and the public about healthy, up-to-date parrot diets. Provides healthy parrot food to clients needing help.
• Emergency surrender: By referral only. Priority given to birds with intense medical or behavioral challenges, difficult to place birds, or true emergencies. All other inquiries will be referred to other rescues. 

*NEW* Learning with Parrots: Partnership with Academia Cesar Chavez's afterschool program. Scholars go through an orientation and read one on one with a parrot who needs extra attention. 

We often hear, “I need help, but I have no way to pay. I have nothing to give.”

Our response is:

Everyone has something to give. Everyone has worth, skills, and talent. Fees are determined on an individualized basis and must pay it forward or create community engagement. For example, our clients have paid for fees and services by:

• Monetary fees and donations
• Volunteering with other organizations 
• Creating and implementing personal action plans for long term change

Other ideas include: 

• Banking part of the adoption fee for future vet bills
• Making toys for local rescues
• Talking to their child’s classroom about adopting not shopping and parrots in captivity
• Sending Christmas care packages to deployed troops

And we ALWAYS need VOLUNTEERS!

Love life. Love birds.