Parrots are one of the most popular pets in Canada, but animal rescues say there aren’t enough resources to support the birds who can often outlive their owners. The largest parrot rescue in Eastern Ontario says its struggling to keep up with demand. To remedy the growing crisis, it’s launching a pilot program aimed at providing parrots with long-term stability. At Parrot Partners Canada in Carleton Place, the story of Sammie a 71-year-old Cockatoo is one of the reasons rescues exist and why the executive director says Canada is facing a parrot crisis. Sammie came to Parrot Partners after outliving his original owner and now calls the rescue home along with 54 other aging and surrendered birds. “We get them from all walks of life all the time,” said Judy Tennant, executive director of Parrot Partners Canada. “We generally get about five calls a week asking, ‘Will you take my bird?’” Judy Tennant says that steady stream of calls is part of a larger pattern, a crisis quietly unfolding across the country as rescues like hers struggle to keep up. “It’s a patchwork,” she said. “The rescue and the care system is this patchwork of people mostly doing it out of their homes because they see that there’s nobody there for them.” Parrots are one of the most popular pets in Canada, but Tennant says many people underestimate what they’re taking on and how long the responsibility can last. “They’re a wild animal,” said Gunner Black, an aviary technician at the organization. “They can give you all the good signs but still be completely unpredictable. You need to make sure you do your research before you dive in and get one. They live a long time.” In fact, some parrots can live up to 80 years or longer, long enough to outlive the people who bought them, and long enough for a family’s circumstances to change dramatically over time. Tennant says a large part of today’s demand is tied to birds imported, bred and sold decades ago and the long lifespan that comes with them. “We’re still dealing with birds bred in the ’70s and ’80s that are still in the system,” she said. “And we’re still pumping out new birds, so this is a long-tail liability, so to speak, that no one is looking after.” Unlike cats and dogs, Tennant says there is no safety net when owners can no longer care for parrots. Yet, the birds continue to be bred and sold in pet stores, some for thousands of dollars. “We have to slow down at least the upstream breeding and give them a safety net of some sort that is humane and right now we’re not doing it and it’s a crisis and nobody sees,” she said. At the same time, Tennant says the supports that do exist are shrinking. Rescues are declining as caregivers age out, she said, compounded by a critical shortage of avian veterinarians. The result, Tennant says, is that when parrots become ill, behaviourally unmanageable, or suddenly homeless, options can disappear fast. “It’s a crisis,” she said. “We have too many parrots in the system, too few rescues, even fewer medical and fewer behavioural supports. And it’s only going to keep getting worse.” That’s why the organization is now testing a three-year pilot project, the first of its kind, designed to see whether early planning, ongoing support and a guaranteed place to go can prevent parrots from falling through the cracks later. Rather than relying only on the traditional rescue model, taking in birds when a crisis hits, Tennant says the pilot is built around the idea of prevention and stability. “Rather than using the traditional rescue model, we’re looking at it from an insurance or pension point of view,” she said. Under the pilot, adopters would pay a $20 monthly fee to help cover ongoing support, education and boarding, with the guarantee the parrot can return to the rescue if it can no longer be cared for. The goal, Tennant says, is to keep parrots in one stable place for as long as possible, and to build a model that could be replicated if it proves effective. “We’re doing a fundraiser for it now,” she said. “Mathematically, this might be what allows professional rescues to take hold. If we can prove that this is more humane.” Giving parrots like Sammie a soft place to land, well into their golden years. More information on the fundraiser can be found here.
