Live Bird Auction

[MsSmurfy]

Crossposted with blessings!
Take action to stop the sale of parrots through online auctions!

Link to the petition:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/pet...ds-and-animals

We have received word of a dreadful auction being held on June 16th, in Florida. Dr Clubb, vet and breeder, has been "forced" to liquidate her "assets" due to a divorce, and plans to sell her "collection" of 600 exotic birds - many of them endangered parrot species - in an online auction with plans to export the birds to the highest bidder! Here are a few reasons why this is dreadful!

These birds can be bought over the Internet! Anyone - not just responsible breeders or pet buyers - can bid without regard for their suitability to deal with the demands of an intelligent and long-lived parrot. How easy it would be to use this opportunity to get a "bargain" on a bird that will not be adequately cared for!
Many of the birds can be exported, and you may know from the articles on our website that this is a traumatic experience for the birds - if they survive it.

The birds are being sold by Stampler Auctions, who normally deal with furniture and houses, yet have moved into the lucrative "business" of exotic bird auctions. You can be certain there are no special provisions for the birds' comfort, and inadequate measures for disease control, such as disinfection from the last such auction they conducted.

These birds are being sold by a "renowned vet and breeder", which more or less educates people that it's all right to treat these intelligent living beings as pieces of furniture to be bought and sold.


Please sign the petition and send it to your friends who care about our psittacine friends. The petition page shows a link to the Auctioneer's website and more disturbingly the online "catalog" of parrots, who are listed as mere commodities for sale. This is heartbreaking. Perhaps we can't stop those determined to make a profit out of "exotic birds", but we can work to stop the barbarous online auction of these intelligent beings.

Link to the petition:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/pet...ds-and-animals

Yours sincerely,
Jane Waterman
for Wendy Huntbatch, President of FLOPRS.

[jimpierce7]

I do not agree with or like in any way the auction that the letter describes. I have also seen a letter from Dr. Clubb and it seems she has no choice. In the eyes of the law her birds are property. Her ex husband wants is half of the money. Its a crying shame, it really is.

Live animal auctions are also how cattle of all kinds is sold.

[Joel]

Can't sign the petition because I don't fully agree - plain & simple.

I don't feel there will be any real bargains there which will cause these breeder birds (I believe all or most all are breeders?) to possibly go to keepers/breeders who are not capable and willing to tend properly to their needs. The odds of most, if not all, the birds going to good homes/breeding facilities is very high IMO.

Interesting to see that a plucked bird is used as an "Avatar" for the petition . That might get some extra votes though. :)

I do not think (I'm really sure actually) that there will be any auctioned birds going to breeders/keepers who will then turn around and release them into the wild to fend for themselves. Similar words are found in the wording of the linked petition. Puleeeeeze.

Maybe some should use their energies to help find the greatest buyers for these birds rather than trying to stop the auction (an effort that I'm fairly certain cannot be accomplished). Btw, if the auction somehow was stopped, then where would the birds go? Are these alarmists (IMO) prepared to feed & house them etc. until they themselves can find great homes for the 600+ and then guarantee that the homes they find will be wonderful forever homes. Just curiosities of mine.

JMO

[Bonesy]

I dont agree with any animal auction. Plain and simple.

Animals should be sold to people who can be assured to care for them and supply what they need. I've never really agreed with calling animals "property" either. Yes sure you can buy an animal and call it yours, but I feel anything with a will of it's own should NEVER be classed as property. To me, my animals are my children, I am a guardian to them, not an "owner".

I feel the guy should leave this woman's clearly treasured and hard earned collection well alone. Something with a mind of it's own should never be brought into an argument like this. If it was a collection of cars, sure. If it was a collection of children, hell no. People would be in uproar about it. Though few people on this earth apart from us really consider our animals like children.

However money hungry people never see that side of things. Tearing birds not only apart but tearing them from a loving guardian (better known to them as "owner" ) they're no doubt grown to trust and love, is a form of mental cruelty in my eyes.

However I doubt a petition will change much in the eyes of law, they have more than enough money to ignore people when they need to. I doubt a couple of birds will make them dig too far into what little emotion they have.

[Sashagirl]

This is very upsetting the way these birds are going to be auctioned off as if they are a piece of property.I'm sure there could of been another way around this.Even if it meant being held in contempt or getting together with friends to get the money to pay the husband off.

[catschair]

Okay crew....this one is touchy. Please feel free to voice your opinions, but let's be sure not to let any of the comments get personal (you are doing great so far -- keep up the good work)

[Birdsmile]

I keep seeing tearing pairs apart on this subject. But no one would pay for a pair and then seperate them. I think they would buy and try to breed them. If anyone tried to do that or set them free it would have to be someone who thinks they are "rescueing" them.

[macattack]

Susan, is my vet. I love her dearly. I have also seen MANY of her birds. Her setup. Parts of her aviary that can be seen (its closed and away from the practice for good reason)....I can say with 99.9% accuracy that none of them are pluckers. The auction house has pictures up. I couldn't find any that are not just gorgeous well plumed birds. I just know her and her staff way too well they are meticulous, caring people.

I just don't like the inaccuracies on a lot of the sites that are against her and the auction. And please people just keep that in mind when you pass judgement. Some people will go to any lengths to get their point across. Even if its an out and out lie.

Susan has done more for the avian community in terms of research than anyone else. Harrison, and Speer withstanding. She is by far one of the biggest assets to the avian community and has written "the book" on many things that are used as text in universities around the globe. I don't know all her accomplishments. But do a google search if you want to see more.

And as stated Florida law is pretty clear when it comes to assets. She is sitting on alot of property. 20 acres for her practice and aviary. Hubby wants half. i'm garnering a guess here, but an acre sells for about 220,000 here in the acreage/lox area. So she needs to either pay off the hubby at aprox. 2,000,000 and up, or sell it all to divy it all up. either way the birds are lost. buying him out, at least saves a few as opposed to selling them all, and the property and the practice. this is not something that can be taken lightly. They spent 29 years building this property and business. I just feel really bad for them, I know she is suffering over this.

Sign your petition or don't sign it. and all i want people to remember is she is going thru a difficult time. This is the ONLY solution to keep her practice going. And i for one have needed her on a few occasions that without her being in this area and practising, would be lost.

she not only takes care of the birds, she is an establish EXOTIC vet. with lots of experience.

JOJO

[Tiki]

I don't like the idea of birds or any animals being auctioned off and I don't like them being considered as "assets" like they don't have feelings of their own.

Unfortunately, the law is condoning and forcing the auction and we can't change laws overnight so please think of the BIRDS. If anyone can give any of them a good home, please don't refuse to buy them on principle. Where will they be if they don't get into new homes where they will be loved and cared for? The divorce of the humans involved here is not the bird's fault. Please help them if you can.

[MsSmurfy]

I simply want to express my personal appreciation for each individual thought on this topic 'without' discord toward either for any individual concept pertaining to this extremely 'unfortunate' situation. I will say that it is perfectly 'OK' to agree to disagree when witnessing such a SAD situation...SAD for ALL involved! I know S. Clubb personally since 1999 as well as her associates/aquaintances/friends etc...she also treated many of my beloved critters. I would like to say that my heart indeed goes out to her as well as the critters involved...Many out here may not have access to the TV coverage that we have been exposed to here in Florida in regards to this auction situation. I will tell you I was 'APPALLED' hearing that 'death-threats' were thrown S.Clubbs way during her time of turmoil...I will not elaborate much further, even though much more details are associated with this unfortunate circumstance. I will say that my heart has been in turmoil as well ,since being informed of this situation & with only a few days time [I was in Costa Rica for weeks before this was revealed to me via email], I was able to at least make genuine efforts to find good placements for a few of the many to be auctioned....all I could do was contact those I knew throughout the US & inform & pray. My years of finding some 'forever-homes' has been extremely rewarding, however, doing such does not happen quickly by any means. I do know that the individual who will be handling the exporting of any birds is extremely qualified for such & will do this task with total care/concern for the feathered one without any doubt! This does not lighten the serious dilemma by any means I realize. The word 'S_A_D' doesn't even touch the depth of pain/suffering & unfortunate upheaval all will experience during such time. Prayer is about all I have left to offer... There is a song by Nelly Furtado called something like "When Good Things Go Wrong"...it touches on this dark day[auction is today-as I type] in a unique way....so many of us need to realize that often times 'too much of ANYTHING' usually does not have a happy ending. I mention this simple sentence as a general reference which can easily apply to ALL aspects of LIFE in general....THINK ABOUT IT~ you will understand what I mean, if you open you heart-mind-& soul to such concept. None of us are exempt for such statement... Thank you all for your honest opinions & fair way of expressing in this forum.