Local Humane Society

[PatriciaLynn]

That is horrible! Tiels are so sweet too!

[cheyanneandmark]

Yeah, and, PatriciaLynn, your tiels are C-U-T-E

[guest1717171]

is there someone higher up the chain of command there that you can talk to?
maybe if you could point out that it is cruel to leave her in with him and that by not allowing he to be adopted alone they are perpetuating that cruelty, and preventing her (and him too) from going to good homes

hopefully someone will listen to you

[Adinah]

I hate when people are in a field trying to help animals and they don't understand things that are so obvious and basic.
I'm still new to owning fids but if I saw one bird plucking another, the thought just MIGHT cross my mind to separate them.

[KDK241]

I called this morning and spoke to the person in charge and I also left a message for the vet. I was very polite and she said they would seperate them but they don't have the space. She apparently didn't know that I had been there cuz I asked her about the empty cage next to them and she said "Oh, we do have an empty cage don't we". She said they will try seperating them but who knows if they really will. I can't make it there until this weekend to see if they do or not but I hope they do. I also asked her about adopting just the one and she insisted that they will "Die without each other because they mate for life". I told her that they don't necessarily mate for life and that I have seperated tiels who were bonded and they are doing just fine but she wouldn't listen to me.
They do that though. When I got the parakeets there they had a pair of tiels that HAD to be adopted together cuz they were bonded...one tiel had been there for over 2 months and the other had just gotten there that day! They wouldn't even sit next to each other on the perch. Sometimes it's just an easy way to try and get rid of 2 birds instead of one. I'm going to keep trying though. I would get them both but I don't have room for 2 more cages and it wouldn't be fair to adopt both just to rehome the male. I haven't heard anything back from the vet.
I actually talked to her about volunteering there and helping with the birds. I told her that I understand that they deal mainly with dogs, cats and small animals but they are getting more and more birds in all the time. They have a sun conure there right now and they rarely get anything larger than a tiel in. I'm not saying I know everything about birds, far from it, but I figure I could help out a bit. She told me to email the person who handles the volunteers so I did but who knows what will happen. I'm hoping to be able to get into contact with that one person who doesn't think they know everything and will listen.

[cheyanneandmark]

Yes, do that

You really care for birds, you are that bird's hero!!

Good luck

[Izzy]

The Animal Humane Society in Minnesota actually usually sends most of their larger birds to MAARS, and I would assume that this pair, being special needs, would normally have gone there as well, but I know that the parrot rescues all over the country are full, especially with the economy the way it is.

I know that AHS won't adopt out the larger birds, and instead hold them until MAARS can take them in (anything larger than a conure - ie, greys etc). I actually have a friend who works there, and she had told me about these two cockatiels, so I am SO happy that someone else saw them! She wanted to adopt them and she knows I am a bird nut, but her parents wouldn't let her get them.

I agree that they need veterinary attention - do you know if you get a free vet exam with a bird adoption? There are several great avian vets in the Twin Cities area who could probably help out.

[KDK241]

I do know that they get a free exam but they do adopt out larger birds. The sun conure that they have is $300 and on the adoption floor. If for some reason they were to get in a larger bird such as an amazon or cockatoo then they would go to MAARS but they will take in conures. They had a GCC there a few months ago also. Smaller birds such as keets, finches, tiels, lovebirds, etc. they do not send to MAARS, they just adopt them out. I'm still trying to figure something out to get her, even if I have to get him too. I just feel so bad for the poor girl and I think she's cute.

[Izzy]

Oh yeah, I totally agree that they'll adopt out anything conure size or smaller, I know they had an indian ringneck awhile ago too. I know they won't adopt out poicephalus or larger, at least according to my source!

The sad thing is, MAARS and other rescues just don't have the room or finances for all these birds. When I volunteered with MAARS they'd get budgies and cockatiels in from the AHS, but eventually they simply ran out of space/funds, and had to focus on the birds that are harder to place in a new home. I know that MAARS does still have lots of smaller birds for adoption as well, and I am not trying to bash them in any way.

I hope you can figure out a way to adopt these guys. I do think it would be nice if they could go together and maybe have cages next to one another. Maybe once they had more room and toys he would forget his obsession with her head and be able to live together too!

And if you think about it - the $75 IS alot, but it pretty much covers the vet visit...though of course testing and blood work would probably be extra.

[Monica]

I've got one cockatiel who's got a slightly plucked head!!! And his mate probably did it.... however, I haven't separated the pair... indeed, there's some feathers he'll never grow back, however I don't see the situation getting *WORSE* so no reason to separate, thankfully! Now only if we could separate the beak from the body as to prevent self-mutilation.... that'd sure help!

Perhaps in a better home with a large cage and plenty of toys and a good diet, the male would stop mutilating the hen?