Kentuckienne
Supporting Vendor
- Oct 9, 2016
- 2,742
- 1,631
- Parrots
- Roommates include Gus, Blue and gold macaw rescue and Coco, secondhand amazon
I want to do something more than talk and write.
Here is what got me started: lots of posts recently about "what kind of parrot should I get" and "where can I get fertilized parrot eggs" etc. I conjecture people are going to google with these questions, and then hitting the resulting pages with questions until they get the answer they want. This might mean finding a scam site that claims to sell parrot eggs, or finding a helpful forum that gives real advice. Parrotforums is one of those helpful places. I thought, wouldn't it be nice if I could get some ad space, so when people Google those links they are sent to one of the Parrotforums pages? Then we would at least have a chance to get out in front of the pack with real information. I checked, and Google does have a non-profit Adwords category where non-profits can request grants to pay for such ads.
I know there are lots of non-profits out there already, and I've looked at a couple, but didn't find one that quite matched what I looked for. My husband and I do donate to a local rescue, but I would like to do something more. In particular:
1. Provide good info to people researching what kinds of parrots to acquire, to prevent birds being re-homed or mistreated. This could be anything from helpful info, costs, recommendations, general responsibilities - perhaps a landing page with static information, sticky links, and a search box.
2. Provide good info to people researching parrot health and behavior issues. Same as above, a triage approach - basic health information, how to tell if a parrot is sick, where to find an avian vet, what kind of things can be tried first if safe, emergency first aid, etc.
3. Educate people about ethical purchase options for young birds. Talk about what it means to be an ethical breeder, and how to find such a breeder. Talk about why it matters. Talk about purchasing a bird from a pet store - what kind of questions to ask, with an emphasis on insisting birds come from responsible breeders. Talk about weaning, hand raising....
4. Educate people about parrot rescues. Why do they exist? What do they do? Why do they charge a fee? How to tell a genuine rescue from a hoarder or scammer-flipper? Why are birds in rescues? What can you expect from a rescue bird? Why should you adopt instead of buy?
5. Educate people about the suffering of companion parrots. The horror stories of mistreatment, abuse, neglect. The pain caused by ordinary human life changes that affect parrots - children, moving, homelessness, loss of job, parrot behavior problems.
6. Raise funds for parrot rescues, support of the forum, outreach, education, rehabilitation, etc.
I envision a place where people who already have parrots can get the information and support they need to provide a good life for their birds, where people who are suitable potential parrot owners can get guidance to ensure a happy outcome for all, where people who aren't suitable for parrot ownership can be gently dissuaded and redirected (perhaps to help in other ways) and where people who shop at pet stores or are casually interested in parrots can find an easy way to help.
This is all pretty much what Parrotforums does already as far as the information part. The non-profit would be separate from Parrotforums. Such an organization is really just a way to arrange for advertising and education, and to give people a way to help. Kind of like an ASPCA except focused on parrot animals. I'm not thinking of making a big deal here. I've looked up the requirements to set such an org up in Indiana, where I live, and it involves choosing a name, registering the company as a business, recruiting three or so people to serve as a board, coming up with a mission statement and bylaws, along with some tax and reporting stuff. People from the forums could do these roles, and that would be good because it allows you guys to manage the message. I've looked a lots of parrot forums, and this one really does seem different. There's a sense of camaraderie and support and kindness combined with actual parrot knowledge, which is not as common as you might think.
I've wanted to do something to contribute to parrot welfare since Oliver died last year. If anyone here knows of a suitable non-profit already in existence that I could support instead - what is it? If it's a good idea to for a new one, who wants in? I'm good at tedious paperwork and figuring out regulations. All financial and accounting stuff will be fully transparent. There's plenty of ways to be involved. I'm really thinking simple, small, localized, and personal. Not a big national project with television ads. For now, I just want to get some Adwords placement to direct the searchers to Parrotforums, and maybe recruit some mods or supporters to put together a FAQ and list of top sticky threads.
What say ye, parrot people?
Here is what got me started: lots of posts recently about "what kind of parrot should I get" and "where can I get fertilized parrot eggs" etc. I conjecture people are going to google with these questions, and then hitting the resulting pages with questions until they get the answer they want. This might mean finding a scam site that claims to sell parrot eggs, or finding a helpful forum that gives real advice. Parrotforums is one of those helpful places. I thought, wouldn't it be nice if I could get some ad space, so when people Google those links they are sent to one of the Parrotforums pages? Then we would at least have a chance to get out in front of the pack with real information. I checked, and Google does have a non-profit Adwords category where non-profits can request grants to pay for such ads.
I know there are lots of non-profits out there already, and I've looked at a couple, but didn't find one that quite matched what I looked for. My husband and I do donate to a local rescue, but I would like to do something more. In particular:
1. Provide good info to people researching what kinds of parrots to acquire, to prevent birds being re-homed or mistreated. This could be anything from helpful info, costs, recommendations, general responsibilities - perhaps a landing page with static information, sticky links, and a search box.
2. Provide good info to people researching parrot health and behavior issues. Same as above, a triage approach - basic health information, how to tell if a parrot is sick, where to find an avian vet, what kind of things can be tried first if safe, emergency first aid, etc.
3. Educate people about ethical purchase options for young birds. Talk about what it means to be an ethical breeder, and how to find such a breeder. Talk about why it matters. Talk about purchasing a bird from a pet store - what kind of questions to ask, with an emphasis on insisting birds come from responsible breeders. Talk about weaning, hand raising....
4. Educate people about parrot rescues. Why do they exist? What do they do? Why do they charge a fee? How to tell a genuine rescue from a hoarder or scammer-flipper? Why are birds in rescues? What can you expect from a rescue bird? Why should you adopt instead of buy?
5. Educate people about the suffering of companion parrots. The horror stories of mistreatment, abuse, neglect. The pain caused by ordinary human life changes that affect parrots - children, moving, homelessness, loss of job, parrot behavior problems.
6. Raise funds for parrot rescues, support of the forum, outreach, education, rehabilitation, etc.
I envision a place where people who already have parrots can get the information and support they need to provide a good life for their birds, where people who are suitable potential parrot owners can get guidance to ensure a happy outcome for all, where people who aren't suitable for parrot ownership can be gently dissuaded and redirected (perhaps to help in other ways) and where people who shop at pet stores or are casually interested in parrots can find an easy way to help.
This is all pretty much what Parrotforums does already as far as the information part. The non-profit would be separate from Parrotforums. Such an organization is really just a way to arrange for advertising and education, and to give people a way to help. Kind of like an ASPCA except focused on parrot animals. I'm not thinking of making a big deal here. I've looked up the requirements to set such an org up in Indiana, where I live, and it involves choosing a name, registering the company as a business, recruiting three or so people to serve as a board, coming up with a mission statement and bylaws, along with some tax and reporting stuff. People from the forums could do these roles, and that would be good because it allows you guys to manage the message. I've looked a lots of parrot forums, and this one really does seem different. There's a sense of camaraderie and support and kindness combined with actual parrot knowledge, which is not as common as you might think.
I've wanted to do something to contribute to parrot welfare since Oliver died last year. If anyone here knows of a suitable non-profit already in existence that I could support instead - what is it? If it's a good idea to for a new one, who wants in? I'm good at tedious paperwork and figuring out regulations. All financial and accounting stuff will be fully transparent. There's plenty of ways to be involved. I'm really thinking simple, small, localized, and personal. Not a big national project with television ads. For now, I just want to get some Adwords placement to direct the searchers to Parrotforums, and maybe recruit some mods or supporters to put together a FAQ and list of top sticky threads.
What say ye, parrot people?
