Save Companion Parrots through Rescue & Education

         Cosmo is a darling 3 year old Green-cheek Conure and
he's super ecstatic to be with his new family.  (They think he's
pretty special too!)




                Blaze is also enjoying life with his new family. Blaze was originally adopted from PEAC
10 years ago and returned to the foster flock when his
owners' health declined. We sincerely thank them for
giving him a loving home all those years!


Assistance for Sanctuary Parrots

PEAC's foster and adoption program focuses on pet quality parrots.  However, we believe strongly in helping every parrot in need. When San Diego Department of Animal Services ("DAS") contacted us some weeks ago for placement of 4 macaws and 2 cockatoos that were part of a cruelty case earlier this year, we put on our thinking caps.  Visiting these birds revealed they were not socialized and our foster program would not meet their needs.  DAS seized these birds from a poor environment with the hope that they would have the opportunity to have a better life.  DAS provided microchipping and avian veterinary exams and we sincerely thank them for this assistance.  After numerous calls no local sanctuaries were able to accept the birds.  PEAC was able to secure placement with an out of state sanctuary; but how to transport the birds over 1300 miles?  The CEO of the parrot sanctuary shared he'd be in San Diego on Dec 13th and offered to drive all these birds to WA State.  On Dec 13th DAS released the birds to PEAC with the understanding they would immediately be transferred to the care of the WA State sanctuary.  To help defray transport costs and for the birds' on-going veterinary and daily care, PEAC made a donation of $1200 to the sanctuary and thanked them for providing a permanent home for these deserving birds.  


    
    Petco Foundation generously donated several large crates, a PEAC volunteer picked them up at multiple stores.  On Dec 13th a PEAC volunteer met our sanctuary contact at DAS-Bonita, completed necessary DAS paperwork and loaded the birds for their journey north.  They are now all settled into their new environment and enjoying the freedom to be birds without the stress of close human contact.





Annual Fundraiser Update

We are deeply grateful to everyone who has already donated to support PEAC programs and activities!  

Raised to date: $8959.84
Goal: $20,000 

Matching Donor Challenge

A long time PEAC supporter has stepped forward and will match your donation, dollar for dollar, up to $10,000 through Dec 31st, 2017. 
 

During this season of giving thanks, we are deeply thankful for YOU and your support of PEAC's mission and programs! Without generous patrons like you, parrots in need of homes would face a bleak future. Your abundant caring and compassion for our parrots, and what we do, are what makes PEAC such a success.

Many members have asked how to renew their annual membership, and one of the best ways to do so would be on "Giving Tuesday!" GlobalGiving will be providing "matches" for any qualified donation starting MONDAY, November 27th at 9:01 PM, Pacific time, through 9:00 pm on Tuesday, November 28th.  Giving Tuesday kicks off our once-a-year fundraising campaign which supports PEAC's educational programs and medical costs for our adoptable parrots. The incentives provided during this short window allow us both to have the biggest bang for each buck donated! 

PEAC's budget for 2018 will remain at $20,000, and although this year several grant applications have been submitted we remain primarily dependent on donors like you.

Another reason to give thanks! Recently "Doc," a Congo African Grey parrot adopted from PEAC, celebrated his one year anniversary with his wonderful new family Annie and Roger. Doc's family permitted us to share a story they'd written about their choice to adopt and how Doc has changed their life for the better:

"Although pet dogs and cats, who are in need of a home tug at the heartstrings of most people, our love lies with the small, beating heart of our Doc. After almost 30 years, our first African Grey Parrot sadly passed away. He had been our constant companion, and we had even passed on long vacations so we could be with him. After he passed away, we had a long discussion about whether or not we wanted to commit 30 to 40 years to another parrot. However, the house was empty. There were no background noises of a little voice saying my husband's name anymore. There was no more "suspicious" silence. There were no more parrot kisses. Our house was silent. Both my husband and I have dedicated our lives to helping animals, and we have found that a lot of support is needed for small animals, including birds. At the point we had decided to welcome another parrot into our lives, we reached out to the wonderful organization, Parrot Education and Adoption Center, where we met Doc. When he first entered our lives, he was confused and, we believe, a little sad. He had had the sad experience of watching his previous owner grow sick and die, and he seemed confused. Typically, he would spend his days hiding in our bathroom, but as time moved on, he slowly emerged from his sadness to join my husband and me as a member of the household. As humans, we understand our love and bond with the animals in our lives, but it can be easy to forget the bond that animals hold with us; especially the ones that we don't understand. How does a bird show love? For us, Doc was able to show his love with the simple words "What are you doing Doc?" The answer is, showing love and being loved in a forever home."

We think their smiling faces say it all and thank Roger, Annie, and Doc for sharing this meaningful follow-up with us.

Congratulations to our recent adoptees! Peanut (Jenday Conure), Niki (Senegal) and Rajah (Orange-winged Amazon, shown pictured with his new owner Judy,) are all settled in their forever homes. These three parrots very quickly stole the hearts of those around them, and we wish them many happy memories in the coming years.

Upcoming Events highlighting the foster flock!

December 2nd and 3rd will be a busy time for the PEAC volunteer elves. On Saturday, Dec 2nd, 11 am - 3 pm, we'll be showcasing select foster flock members at Santa Paws MEGA Adoption Event at Grossmont Center, 5500 Grossmont Center Drive in La Mesa.

On Sunday, Dec 3rd, 9 am - 3 pm, several foster birds will be participating in Doggie Street Festival. Location: San Diego's NTC Park Liberty Station. Address: 2455 Cushing Rd, San Diego, CA 92106.

We hope you can join us for at one of these events - our fabulous "rainbow wings" banner will be on display for taking all the holiday photos you would like, and perhaps we'll encourage our parrots to do a little "caroling" of their own.

We have several adoptions pending and look forward to updating you soon with their stories and also with the progress of our fundraising campaign.

We wish you and your family a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!  

On behalf of the PEAC Board of Directors, we're so thankful to all our donors who continue to support PEAC's Mission and Goals.  Without YOU, our donors and our wonderful team of volunteers, PEAC would not be able to continue to provide the critically needed education for owners, nor advocate for parrots in need of homes.  Over the past several months, our monthly educational seminars in San Diego and Temecula have resumed and will continue to provide up to date information on a wide variety of topics related to companion parrot care.

On July 29th we were thrilled to present an exclusive screening of the film "Yochi"; an award winning, creative film highlighting the plight of endangered parrots in Belize.  The Writer/Director, Ilana Lapid, was on site and spoke to attendees; both the film and her presentation were well received.  There were many comments regarding the touching nature of the film, the amazing cinematography and the powerful message that she brings about conservation of species in their native habitat.

Our adoption program has also been busy - we're so pleased to announce that Louise (CAG), Tiko Marie (Blue & Gold Macaw) have been adopted.  Louise is now busy sharing new experiences with her new family, and Tiko Marie has 'wiggled' her way into her new family's heart!   In addition, we have two adoptions pending; stay tuned for who those lucky birds are in our next report.

We were deeply saddened just a few days after our last report of the loss of Grace, the Red-lored Amazon who was found in a trash bag at a parking lot in late May 2017.  She very suddenly presented with respiratory distress and was having trouble breathing. She was immediately transported to our avian veterinarian, who had difficulty stabilizing her vital signs during the examination. It was determined that she was in respiratory failure. A necropsy revealed a large hemorrhage.../blood clot in her trachea and an undeterminable "black plaque" at the entrance to her esophagus, which our vet has not seen before. We are all heartbroken but are glad that Grace spent her last days in our foster's home, being loved, and not left abandoned. We are so grateful to the good Samaritan that found her and thank that person again for the compassion they showed in making sure she was cared for.

New foster flock members include Blaze (Red-bellied Parrot), Niki (Senegal), Lance (Senegal), Tiki (Yellow-naped Amazon), Jakey (Blue-fronted Amazon), Dewey (Yellow-naped Amazon), Cosmo (Green-cheeked Conure), and Jewel (Green-cheeked Conure).  Be sure to follow our Facebook page, @peac.org, for updates on their activities and antics.

Again, we thank you for your continued support of PEAC programs and activities.  

Warmest Regards,

Barbara Crouse

Board Member

Links:

• Introducing Jakey, a Blue-fronted Amazon

Thank you to all our wonderful PEAC Supporters!

As most of you know, PEAC experienced a change in leadership last month when our former Executive Director and Operations Manager resigned in mid-April.  We welcome and congratulate Gail Bradford who was elected by the Board of Directors as our new Interim-Executive Director! Gail, along with our wonderful team of volunteers continue PEAC’s missions of educating the public on companion parrot care and assisting parrots in need of new homes.

Because of your support, PEAC has participated in two major events in the past few weeks – America’s Family Pet Expo in Orange County in April and just last weekend Pirate Days on San Diego Bay. Outreach events at select Petco locations are on-going, and last Sunday, Willow, our adoptable Blue & Gold macaw met many new friends at the Temecula Petco.  We will be including photos from these fun events in our upcoming newsletters, but you may also find our event schedules, and fun video recaps at our Facebook page “@peac.org” (or search for “Parrot Education and Adoption Center”.) Join the online fun and “like” us!

You make our work entirely possible, especially with regards to rehoming parrots who come into our program.  Just this week, PEAC was notified of a Red-lored Amazon at an animal shelter in San Diego County. Two days later we received a call from a Good Samaritan who reported turning in a found Amazon to the Department of Animal Services. Surely this must be the same bird!? In speaking with the caller, the Red-lored Amazon had been found in a trash bag at a parking lot. Inside the trash bag was a very small cage secured with zip ties that appeared to have been in place for a significant length of time; it’s possible the bird had been living in this tiny enclosure prior to being left at the site of discovery.

This caring individual transported the parrot to the nearest DAS shelter. Both the caller and DAS staff noted copious nasal discharge making the need for immediate avian veterinary care very evident. PEAC’s newest foster flock member is now under expert medical care, and is expected to make a full recovery.  As DNA gender determination is pending we have not yet selected a name for this exceptionally sweet natured parrot. Perhaps you would like to make a name suggestion? We’d love to hear from you! 

Taking a moment to reflect on this Amazon and how he was found - dumped, just emphasizes to us the desperate need for organizations like PEAC to exist.  We hear about these types of stories, but it breaks our heart to be part of one. Now he has a chance for a bright future, in part to the Good Samaritan who made sure he found his way to a safe harbor, but also because of compassionate people like YOU, who have supported PEAC’s programs these many years. Your generosity has ensured our ability to accept and provide medical care to parrots in need. We will continue our community outreach, educating the public about PEAC and the resources available to them.  No pet bird should be left as this one was, abandoned and alone. So we extend our deepest gratitude to you, our Donors. Thank you sincerely for allowing PEAC to advocate for and assist these parrots, who have needed all of our help so very much and who will have their lives changed for the better because of your personal effort and investment.

And now for some GREAT news - we have found permanent homes for the following foster birds! Buddy (Congo Grey), Gabby (Scarlet Macaw), and Lucy (Green-wing Macaw). Their new families are all thrilled with how their new feathered friends have settled in and are looking forward to making many happy memories in years to come.  As the need to rehoming is ever present, we have accepted three other parrots into foster care this past week; all due to long time owners who have been mandated by physician order to give up their birds due to severe health issues. New foster flock members include: Louise (Congo Grey), Blaze (Red-bellied Parrot) and Niki (Senegal). Please watch our website, Facebook page and PetFinder.com for updates as they progress through quarantine to adoptable status.

Again, we thank you for ensuring a new chapter and loving homes for companion parrots, and for supporting our continued community outreach. We’ll be returning to regular educational events within the next one or two months on a variety of topics related to companion parrot care. We hope to see you soon at a PEAC event - Be sure and introduce yourself so we can give you a hug or high-five in person for your support of PEAC and our parrots!

Looking at the calendar today, I cannot believe we are already at the end of February.  Time seems to go by way too fast for those of us who work in rescue.  PEAC is starting out 2017 in good financial standing, due to the great success of our year-end fundraiser. Not only did we have Globalgiving matching our donations on one of these days, we also had an anonymous donor who pledged a donation of $1 for $1 up to $20,000, which we took full advantage of.  2016 saw PEAC running at a deficit, due to some significant veterinary expenses that we had for parrots including Major, Blaze, and Beanie. With the large matching donation, we will be able to pay off all charges that we had incurred in 2016.

90% of our budget each year goes directly to veterinary costs.  Each parrot that comes into the foster program undergoes a comprehensive veterinary evaluation, which includes various tests along with the physical examination.  The cost for this is $300-$400 per parrot.  Some of the parrots come to us with serious psychological problems, requiring the use of prescription medication to help ease their anxiety.  Currently we have two parrots that are struggling with feather destructive behavior (FDB).  On entering the program, KT and Rubio each had very little feather covering on their chest, abdomen, and legs; additionally, Rubio was destroying his wing feathers.  After just a few months, the changes in them are quite amazing.  Both are showing tremendous feather regrowth, and are preening naturally, without any signs of over-preening, which is part of FDB.  PEAC, alongside its team of avian vets, has worked hard on a protocol that seems to show promise with parrots suffering with FDB, when they receive treatment at the early stages of the condition.  The protocol is not only about using medication, but also includes dietary changes and environmental enrichment, which includes daily showers and plenty of time in natural sunlight and fresh air in our outdoor aviaries. Toys are provided which simulate the texture and design of a parrot's feathers, and we try to get them to use these to relieve their anxiety, instead of taking it out on themselves. 

PEAC has a busy calendar with our outreach events so far this year.  We have been invited to participate in the South Orange County Pet Expo, the America's Family Pet Expo, the Turquoise Animal Hospital Exotic Pet Expo, and Pirate Days at the Maritime Museum of San Diego, as well as our regular monthly outreach events at the local Petco stores.  Additionally, we are working on getting approval to do a monthly outreach event at the local Petsmart stores.  PEAC's main focus continues to be education, and we try to participate in as many events as we have sufficient volunteers to cover, as this is the best means of getting the message out about the plight of companion parrots in the USA.  As we are all aware, cats, dogs, and fish are the three most common companion pets in our country; parrots have recently dropped to fourth place.  Even though this may signal that fewer parrots are being purchased as pets, it does not reflect the large number of birds needing to find new homes, for a variety of reasons.  PEAC's education focuses on providing information to people considering a parrot as a pet, so that if they choose to go forward with this, they are prepared for the longevity of the bird, as well as the cost and care of the animal.  In the Spring of 2017, we will resume our pet therapy program that we offer to the local military personnel in San Diego.  With San Diego being a big military town, PEAC feels it is important to give back to the community that supports us. We are also hopeful that in the Spring, Rady Children's Hospital will allow us to begin doing an outreach event, to provide the children there who are struggling with illness to have an afternoon of fun while learning information on these amazing winged wonders. 

Each year your financial support goes toward purchasing teaching aids, such as the coloring book we use for kids 12 and under, which explains how to care for a pet parrot. This year with your donations, we will also begin to offer a "Congratulations on Your Adoption" care package, which among other items, will include two videos by a world-renown avian behaviorist: one on parrot body language and the other on basic training techniques using positive reinforcement.  With the growth of the organization, we have realized the importance of liability insurance, especially when you consider that we are working with wild animals.  Without your donations, PEAC would have been left open to liability, should an accident occur.  Our webpage will soon begin to have links to PEAC-approved informational sites, so that when someone logs on to our webpage, they will have, with one click, a large resource library which we hope will answer most questions on parrot care.  

I want to reach out to all of you and thank you for your support during our year-end campaign, as this is not an accomplishment of PEAC; it's an accomplishment of you, our supporters.  Outside of financial support, PEAC is also in desperate need of volunteers, especially those who are willing to open their homes to a foster bird.  In just a couple of months, we have gone from having no birds on our waiting list, to having to reopen our waiting list, as we just do not have the foster homes necessary to take in all the parrots that come to us looking for a second chance.  Along with our growth has also come the need to form some new committees, including the event committee, the fundraising committee, and the committee on grants; and we are in need of volunteers to sit on these committees.

WITHOUT THE PHYSICAL SUPPORT OF A STRONG VOLUNTEER BASE,

PEAC WILL NOT SURVIVE OR GROW,

NO MATTER HOW MUCH MONEY WE GENERATE WITH FUNDRAISERS. 

As spring approaches, we who have parrots will begin to deal with the breeding behaviors that come around for most birds every year.  Keep an eye out for information relating to this topic, as one of our new monthly seminars will be about how to manage your feathered friends during what can be a very tense time of year, not only for them, but for you, their owners, as well.

In closing, I want to thank all of you for everything you do that helps keep PEAC moving forward.  We are in the middle of celebrating our 20th year of service to the Southern California area and abroad, and we hope to be around for another 20 wonderfully successful years.