SPCA case in Florida

[Tiki]

Nancy, that is such a heartbreaking article and scary too. Someone could have a grudge against a neighbor for something else and call the SPCA on them anonymously for revenge. Those poor cockatiels who suffered at the hands of the "evildoers"!

Even the Poi who was attacked by a hawk was scary enough. There are many reasons I don't keep my birds outdoors and that is just one of them.

[gbird]

It's just sad. My friend lived next door to a jobless drug using single mother, who would abuse her little boy to the point that my friend found him hiding behind her trash cans in his underwear in the middle of the night, because his mother had gone balistic. She called social services 5 times, and no one ever showed up. Eventually the lady moved, and we have no idea what became of the little boy, but they will come and take away perefectly healthy, well taken care of birds, some with chicks, because they "thought" they were being abused????

Something here is very wrong. The mind boggles

[Lynjupiter]

DFC also got involved in the case and took the woman's young son. They did return him to her with the conditions she did not raise him in a house full of birds. They said it was not a normal living situation. You would not believe the torment and abuse this woman went through.
Lynda

[CALVINS MOM]

Very sad story. This is horrible. Seems to me someone knew someone inside Fish & Game.

[Mike B]

Originally Posted by bustersbuddy

Abuses happen frequently at the hands of over-zealous "animal rights" crusaders. This is a glaring example. I firmly believe in captive breeding programs and support all responsible breeders. However, there are a lot of bad breeders out there and a huge number of "parrot mills" operating. The trick is to get the laws written under reasonable and sensible guidelines. This only happens when the citizens work closely with their locally elected state and federal representatives in the State Legislature and the Federal Congress. The animal husbandry/agriculture industry in Florida is HUGE and birds are a significant part of that industry. The breeders need to form a lobbying group just like the cattle, pork and poultry people to make sure that laws are on the books that treat them fairly and still protect the common buyer/consumer. Only in that way will any sort of fairness be acheived. It is NOT easy nor will it happen overnight. California is still trying to iron out these types of laws and we are way ahead of anything happening in Florida.

I wish you the best. Good, reputable breeders deserve to be protected and bad ones deserve to be arrested.

Yes, this absolutly needs to happen. Aviculture is in a very sad state as far as legislation goes. The major part of it is aviculture itself. The "players" can't even decide what direction to go in. You have very knowledgeable people at the top. Knowledgable about birds that is. Knowledge about how to work w/ people is a whole story in it's self. The Orgs. that have been torn down just because people can't put egos away is horrific. Frankly it's disgusting that people can't get together for a cause, lifestyle that they created.

Mike

[Cindy215]

Originally Posted by Mike B

Yes, this absolutly needs to happen. Aviculture is in a very sad state as far as legislation goes. The major part of it is aviculture itself. The "players" can't even decide what direction to go in. You have very knowledgeable people at the top. Knowledgable about birds that is. Knowledge about how to work w/ people is a whole story in it's self. The Orgs. that have been torn down just because people can't put egos away is horrific. Frankly it's disgusting that people can't get together for a cause, lifestyle that they created.

Mike

Well the AFA calls itself the voice of "aviculture". Then fights and lobbies every single thought of ANY type of standards, regulation or even the idea of legislation or inspection. Yes I can understand that position given this event especially. It makes their case. Idiots not knowing what they are even looking at.

The AFA is "you". Meaning people who are into aviculture.

I"m not, I'm a rescuer type person. But I suggest that people who want any type of cohesion get active just like animal rights people. Regardless of our efforts the AETA was passed, which in MY view, this Florida event would qualify as breaking THAT particular law. Albeit a government agency is probably immune from any and all accountability even in this UNBELIEVABLE injustice.

Not to hijack this thread and I don't really want to get into any heated discussions about the AETA (especially since there is no agreement ever by the two sides).....but THIS very example of government abuse is exactly what animal rights activists are talking about specifically with the AETA.

Oddly, these jerks abused a person who probably was all FOR the AETA as most breeder people were on THAT side of the issue.

And thought the government (nothing more than other dopes drawing salaries from us) was "here" to protect her. HRMPH ...nobody is safe from targeting.

[Birdsmile]

However, there are a lot of bad breeders out there and a huge number of "parrot mills" operating. The trick is to get the laws written under reasonable and sensible guidelines. This only happens when the citizens work closely with their locally elected state and federal representatives in the State Legislature and the Federal Congress. The animal husbandry/agriculture industry in Florida is HUGE and birds are a significant part of that industry.




I have never seen a "Parrot Mill" when people get involved for a "Quick buck" they usually end up selling their birds, Because there is not alot of "rich" breeders. Birds bond and do not go into "Heat" so you cant buy one male and 20 females.For those of you who do not breed parrots, here is the strictly financial reason for no real profit: using an example pair of Blue & Gold parrots on a pellet diet:

Weekly Food Cost: $20
Heating/Lighting: $5
Vet/Medical (annual/52): $3
Cost in time at about $8/hr to change cage liners, feed & water about 30mins/day: $4*7 days because we don't get a day off=$28
Cage/Equip maint and replacements including perches: $5
That's $61.00 per week which is $3172/year just to have the parents.

Ok Now let's say they lay an egg (again, costs are per week).

Cost of maint for equipment (brooder, incu, thermostats, scales and feeding items): $4
Cost of food: $15
Heating/Lighting including clean air etc: $8
Cost in time for changing liners, cleaning etc.,: $40
These costs are the same for the first 8 or so weeks which gives us: $536.00 Then assuming the breeder needs to raise the chick for the first 12-18 weeks (lets just say 15 weeks) -- we decrease some of the above costs for the remaining 7 weeks lets say $400. That's $936 so far and we haven't spent any money to compensate ourselves for our time spent feeding these babies.

Costs for feeding would break down about like this (lets just say $5/hr to keep it simple):

Days 1-5 at least7 minutes per hour.
The rest of the feedings takes about 15 mins each on average to feed, clean and pet the baby.
This totals about 100 hours @ $5 that's $500 in time. - Of course, this doesn't obey any labor laws or the federal min. wage or anything else, it assumes the breeder is volunteering himself.

Anyway that's $936+$500 which brings us to basically $1500 in time, costs and effort to raise a single Blue & Gold Macaw from baby to weaned. Now we have to spend time and effort finding a buyer for this parrot, caring for it while we look, vet bills for the baby parrot, and on and on. If the original parents have 6 chicks a year you can divide the cost to raise the parents (3172) by 6 = $530 of each check needs to go directly to pay for upkeep on it's parents. This brings the Blue & Gold macaw's COSTS to the breeder to about $2000. Even if you drop off the cost of TIME from the equation and assume the breeder is donating his own time to the care of these birds you still have a cost of about $1300-1500 for each baby raised.
When we sell you a parrot for $1000-$1200 or whatever, that's where the money is going - most breeders are actually loosing money and don't even know it. Do people seriously expect us to sell them a parrot for half what it costs us to raise it or less let alone,

Therefor economics will get rid of bad breeders Not more laws that people can twist to their own needs.
JMHO
Jack
(above costs quoted from Aviaryinfo.com)

[cpryslek]

thank you posting an update.i had seen this case on one of the yahoo groups and i have been wondering what the outcome was.