Went to the shelter today. 2 B&G macaws, 3 Goffins cockatoos, 3 umbrella cockatoos ( I think the Lesser ones), a Grey, and a quaker. Each has its own cage, their original ones, which the shelter had to clean up a lot before the parrots were put back into them. I brought over 2 large thick manzanita perches, a large sand perch and a tubular bell. This shelter, the town's, does not foster out any animals at all, they only di adoptions, and they are still wading thru the legal stuff, because the gentleman passed with out a will, and due to the high $ value of these parrots, they need the courts to get involved. I was only allowed to see them thru a very thick outside glass window. Nobody is plucking at this point, thank God. But these folks are not set up for or knowledgeable about parrots. I saw one attendant stoking one of the cockatoos on her back and sides, which I later told them thats a nono, and why. I gave them the suggestion to visit the local Home Depot for the cut offs in the scrap barrels (no plywood, no treated lumber), so these guys have something to chew. Someone donated a bunch of 1" dowels for perches, but these got quickly reduced to splinters by the big birds.
Geri and i finalized our thoughts on these guys. We will not be adopting and the shelter does not do fostering with any animal, even cats and dogs, again for legal reasons - since its a town run shelter, it leaves them liable in some situations. We would have fostered one of the macaws, but.....
THey said they do not get parrots in usually and when they do, its not 1 or 2, its like this 10 or more. Clearly folks who have hoarding tendencies. And the birds are always barely being taken care of, which is so sad. I'm sure this gentleman did not set out to treat the parrots poorly. But real life intrudes.