Please help these birds be returned to where they were lovingly cared for

[Premium Parrots]

Please go to this link and help this dedicated bird rescuer out by signing this petition. His birds were unjustly taken from him by an over zealous new animal control officer in Weatherford Texas. BEAKS AND WING PARROT RESCUE has help thousands of people over the years by offering advice and taking in and rehomeing many birds. Please take a moment to sign the petition demanding the return of his birds. I'm sure many of you know this great rescue. Thank you.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/5/hel...rescuers-birds.

PLEASE CROSS-POST

[becca623]

Please tell Beaks he has my support! He is a true asset to the bird community! I'm seriously upset PP.

[Lisa B]

I cant seem to bring the site up. I am disgusted. I have known John for several years, and know that he is one of the RARE few in this world that has done so much to help parrots and throw aways for so many years.

[Premium Parrots]

Looks like the link has changed. Not sure why they changed it. Heres the new link.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/5/hel...rescuers-birds.

[Monica]

Just wondering to everyone... does this post not look familiar???
bird hoarding - BirdBoard.Com - Parrot Message Board & Pet Bird Owner Forums



I'll assume Beaks & Wings is in Weatherford....
Dozens of exotic birds taken from Weatherford home
Weatherford Democrat - Exotic birds confiscated from local homeowner



Beaks & Wings Parrot Rescue
Weatherford, TX 76086
Beaks & Wings, Parrot Rescue | thanks to all of the people that didnt show up to help with the birds (NOT!!!)


I must wonder how long John went without help. How long he has had his back injury. I must also wonder why no one could help him. Apparently, not everyone has had a good experience with him, either. By the sounds of it, he reminds me of a guy in Las Vegas looking for free birds, most particularly medium to large species... including an amazon and a galah. If you don't give him a free bird then he ridicules you and sends you harassing e-mails. Although his place for the birds looks fabulous, he's not rehoming any birds.

I don't really know John, as I've never met him, however I have noticed he tends to be very strongly opinionated, and he can also be rude. I don't mean to put him down, make him out to be the bad guy, but from another person's experience with dealing with him, John is taking in free or cheap birds and rehoming them for a higher price.

I really hope this was a mistake however, and that it is due to John's back going out on him thus having issues taking care of all the birds, and asking for help but not receiving any.

[Lisa B]

ok, I do have to step in here. I DO know John. I respect him and respect the work he has done over his lifetime to help those in need. Its easy to add two cents in when you can google info on someone, and watch interaction on the net.

In defence of his tell it like it is attitude...yes thats John. When you have seen the worst in human life and have seen as much damage done to birds over your lifetime as he has, you tend not to sugar coat things. You get tired of society and generations of birds being physically hurt by humans. I see myself doing that after watching people over 30 years...and John has I believe two more decades experience under his belt then I do.

I know he has personally taken in birds that needed medical attention, helped them and then rehomed them for whatever the medical fees were. Whats so terrible about that? IT happens all the time. Oh and another little known fact, he is well respected by the vets in the area. He has helped them grow in their knowledge of birds as well. Some people forget there are a hand full of us that have had birds longer then ABVP vets have been around, and or, bird vets in general. Vets have also learned by working with us old timers. (yes me included)


There are a few people who packed up and ran down to help after hurricaine katrina. Guess what John was one. He spent countless hours, weeks and his own funds to help what society was forgetting about...the parrots.
His back is one of a few issues he has had to deal with over the past few years.....He also got extremely sick after helping katrina birds. He permently damaged his lungs due to what he had to endure to make sure the birds victims would survive.

When the time came for him to ask for help, which is RARE, he recieved none.
he hurt his back and had to rely on others to help him. NO ONE showed. NO ONE had done for him, what he had done his whole life.
Imagine if we were bedridden how our cages would look. Imagine if we had to rely on others who thought it was a fun joke to offer help and not show....

I can tell you when I had a terminally Ill African Grey, John, a complete stranger, contacted me via the net, to help me. That was one of 3 people, out of thousands of people who read my story, that offered help. Offering me anything I needed. either information, experience, or funds if I needed them.

I feel terrible and helpless to help this man who has done so much over his years in Aviculture. He has done so much for us as a community, and this is how he is paid back. Yet another act of cruelty on the behalf of humans.

[Lisa B]

a letter sent off to the newschannel who did the footage of the raid:

I just saw your article on the “bird hoarder” . I wanted to comment to the reporter in the video, who said the Amazon was crying out momma- momma, but couldn’t cry out and say help me? Human stupidity surprises me every day. That bird WAS crying out help me, the way he knew, by calling for his Momma. Nothing short of what a child would do. Obviously the work us long time Aviculturists have done over our lifetime, hasn’t reached to the people it should.

Shame on the texas community who has chosen to persecute a person who has done so much good for birds all over the world. Instead of helping a man who was injured with his passion as he requested…his good name and life long work destroyed. Yet another act of human cruelty….hurting, not helping anyone involved.

Lisa

[amanda143]

Yes Lisa, I was pretty ticked off by that reporter too. My family and I had a long discussion last night about the way he was treated and how it was "legal" for them to "slander and libel" him the way they have. I don't know what their so called investigation was, but apparently they didn't do their homework. I find it a bit suspicious that the reporters were there the same time they decided to come collect these birds. Seems to me they were trying to make an example of John.

[sugarbeth]

It looks like Animal Welfare did the right thing to me. Dude was in way over his head, and should not have been trolling craigslist for even MORE birds. I'm sure he means well (don't most hoarders?) but birds should not have to live like that. No way would I sign a petition for them to return to that situation, sorry.

[odhinn]

I don't know this guy personally but if he was helping abused and abandoned animals then he is OK in my book. He had alot of birds but the ones I saw in pictures looked healthy and well taken care of. As Amanda stated we had a long discussion about the legality of what was said about him. The press propagates so much garbage under their constitutional rights that they have turned modern media into a joke. If you believe everything that is said on TV they I feel sorry for you. These day TV news is about as accurate as internet blogs or forums most of the time. As far as what Weatherford did it was wrong and will only hurt the birds they supposedly saved from this dastardly criminal (sarcasm). Legally, some public law enforcement entities can do what they want when it comes to supposed abused animals or animal cruelty. One example of officers having to much power is the DNR. These officers can confiscate everything you own including your house simply by using probable cause. Every case goes to court but that doesn't make up for the pain and suffering some innocent people have had to endure. The use of probable cause can help in some cases where an animal is near death or in extreme pain but in a case like this it sounds more like someone is trying to make a name for themselves or dishing out a bit of revenge for something that happened in the past.

For those that volunteered and didn’t show, shame on you. You have created more hell for these birds that were in a home with a person that loved them. The guy may have been a little matter of fact (from what was said) but that was no reason to abandon these little guys and allow them to be displaced once again. I hope you feel good about yourselves and think long and hard about your hypocrisy. Never again can you say you help animals without knowing you failed these birds when they needed help.