Would anyone Care To Assist Us? (Houston & Anywhere)

[FoxersArtist]

My husband and I are going to Houston this weekend for business with the rescue while our volunteers hold down the fort at home. We are taking along Blue & Gold Macaw, Sydney who has found a home with the best of the best, someone who has the experience and expert knowledge to put up with such a challenging girl. I am super excited for her and know that a beautiful chapter in her life is unfolding. We will be taking a trailer over with us because were were planning to pick up some cages for birds we are already working with who originally came from Houston. Last night I decided to scan the local craigslist in Houston, looking for a cage at a reasonable price that we might be able to purchase for Blue & Gold Macaw, Axel. Axel was removed from a really horrible situation and is currently boarding with our rescue. Sadly, Axel will likely end up back with his old owner since we have not achieved custody of the bird and his mom is very intent on taking him back when her life is more stable. The best we can do for Axel is have him vetted (which we have already done), change his diet, care for his physical and emotional needs now so that he is more easy to work with when he goes home, and purchase a nice cage to send home with him so that he will at least have those things to keep him strong. I hate the idea of sendng him back to a home that will not care for him properly, but sometimes these things are not within our control and Axel's mom is fully cooperating with all agreements in order to get her bird back eventually. We are hoping that a little education will go a long way and so far she has taken our suggestions to heart.

Anyway, I was scanning through Craigslist looking for that cage for Mr. Axel and what would you guess? Yes, even I am a sucker for those sad faces who have no one to turn to for help - a future filled with one uneducated family after another. Here she is:

macaw

Plucked naked and sitting in a rusty old cage. I called her family who is prepared to give her to the first person who will hand them cash. They indicated that there are at least 3 other people who wanted her but they never showed up. They explained that they paid $1,300 for her, yadda, yadda, and were asking $500 for her. They want to use her cage for something else (good riddens). I have plenty of nice cages at home. I explained a little bit about our rescue group and told them that I would be honored to help their bird get a leg up on her life. They indicated that they would be most comfortable with a "professional" like me taking her but that they really needed the money and would only hold her if we put down a deposit on her. Paying "ransome" for a bird is something that is sometimes a needed evil in rescue work but we avoid the practice wherever possible because our first priority is with the ones we already have. If we spend all of our dollars on purchasing a bird, we will be stuck in a rut when that same bird needs extensive medical treatment. Dulling out dollars for a rescue when there are many others whose owners care enough to surrender doesn't seem to make sense except that sometimes the ones that need the most help have owners that insist on recovering some of their own costs. And so this is the case with Ms. Houston.

I requested several hours to see what resources I could come up with and am due to call this poor bird's family back later this afternoon. Would anyone care to assist us with this rescue? I already have several people interested in helping to donate some dollars to help spring her but we need more help if we are going to reach $500. This bird is located in Conroe, TX just outside of Houston. Rescue situations are touchy and owners are often very flighty when it comes to making decisions. It is our goal to have any bird removed as quickly as possible from a bad situation, before an owner changes their mind or decides to give the bird to someone else on a whim. If anyone lives in the Houston area and would be willing to pick up this bird before Saturday to ensure her safety, please let me know and we would be happy to forward donations to that individual.

It seems I just can't go anywhere without a bird following me home. This poor girl could really use a change in her luck. She looks like a sweet heart. Thanks in advance to anyone willing to help her.
-Anna

[asulli]

Anna, per our conversation I will be more than happy to help this parrot.

I am sure that other members will be helping out. $10.00 here and $5.00 there and $20.00 will all add up so that you can save this bird.

[FoxersArtist]

Someone said the ad was flagged or removed so here it is from my saved copy:



"have a blue and gold macaw for sale its a good price comparing it to all the other macaws she pluckes her fethers out on her chest shes a great bird she dosent like females only uys sometimes yea she does get along with girls also she dances talkes etc cash only"

-Anna

[FoxersArtist]

Thanks a bunch for offering to help us pick this girl up. Now we just need to raise a few more dollars and we can hopefully get her out of there today!
-Anna

Originally Posted by asulli

Anna, per our conversation I will be more than happy to help this parrot.

I am sure that other members will be helping out. $10.00 here and $5.00 there and $20.00 will all add up so that you can save this bird.

[asulli]

You have my number and I am on stanby! She is such a cutie. I will make sure I bring Bryan with me (not that he would not go) as she only like "guys".

Come on Bird Board let's get this girl out and into Anna's loving arms!!!!

[kellywess]

Hopefully my little bit will help. Wish I could have sent more. Good Luck Anna, keep us posted.

[FoxersArtist]

Thank you so much Kelly. You are such a sweet heart. "Rainbow" (cringe) will be coming to her new temp foster home this evening. Her foster mom already has everything set up and ready for her. I'll evaluate her when I arrive on Friday night.

-Anna

Originally Posted by kellywess

Hopefully my little bit will help. Wish I could have sent more. Good Luck Anna, keep us posted.

[kellywess]

Keep us Posted!

[Jag]

Anna..
Did you get all the funds you need to get her out of there?

[FoxersArtist]

As of 5:30 MST this evening, we have raised $270 of $500 for Rainbow. One of our volunteer staff kindly offered to loan us the needed amount to get Rainbow out of there tonight. Asulli is on her way to pick the bird up right now. (She didn't know what she was in for when she started associating with me - I put her right to work.) We are still in need of $230 to cover Rainbow's remaining ransome. I could possibly offer $100 to the pot if push comes to shove, but I am trying hard to save those dollars to put toward Rainbow's vet care. So, we shall see!
-Anna

Originally Posted by Jag

Anna..
Did you get all the funds you need to get her out of there?