Re: [MickaCoo] [Mickaboo Discuss] Fwd: The Pet Bird Crisis is So Bad...

As an "fyi"----those opposing the ban (i.e. primarily those making money from the sale of animals) are out IN FORCE gathering signatures. My daughter saw a bird at a pet store while out w/ her aunt today so she asked me to go check on the bird. Unfortunately, she was right but my point here is that when I was at the store, an employee pushed a clipboard at me w/ a petition asking me to sign in opposition of the ban. The employee posed the question to me by saying "will you sign a petition against a proposed SF law that would ban the sale of ALL animals at pet stores---*even* hamsters?" I politely refused and when she looked utterly confused I told her that I couldn't because I was in *support* of the ban. I explained that I worked in rescue and she said "well, that figures then". She was polite and shrunk away. Anyway, those who are opposing the proposed ban are really working together to try to keep their income so PLEASE show your support of the ban. It has always been my dream to be able to "retire" from animal rescue. I know it won't happen in my lifetime but this ban could be the beginning of the end of rescue :-) ~tammy On Jun 30, 2010, at 7:22 PM, Elizabeth Young wrote:

I've sent this to everyone in my mailing list and I hope you will do the same.

And you're invited to attend the SF Animal Welfare Commission Meeting where the decision to recommend a ban on pet sales or not will be made. It will be a week from tomorrow- Thursday, July 8, at 5:30 pm in Room #408 of the SF City Hall. ALL INTERESTED PARTIES ARE WELCOME. YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE FROM SF TO ATTEND AND/ OR COMMENT.

Thanks, Elizabeth

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Elizabeth Young Date: Wed, Jun 30, 2010 at 6:02 PM Subject: The Pet Bird Crisis is So Bad... To:

The pet bird crisis is so bad that when I attended the SF Animal Welfare Commission's meeting at City Hall on 6/10 to discuss a possible ban on the sale of pets in SF, birds had been left off the list of animals being considered, despite the fact that the Bay Area's nonprofit, all volunteer Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue is continuously overwhelmed with surrendered, abandoned and neglected pet parrots ranging from budgies and cockatiels and conures to macaws and amazons and cockatoos.

Since that meeting, birds have been added to the discussion and that is very important because consumers are, for the most part, completely unaware of what parrots require for proper care. As a result, the average parrot will be mistreated despite good intentions and, because of behaviors like screaming, destructiveness and aggression, be rehomed seven times in the first ten years of their lives.

Mickaboo Companion Rescue Organization (and its partner MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue) support the ban on pet bird sales in San Francisco and ask that you help us to get the word out about what is really happening with pet birds. This link http://mickaboo.org/ release.pdf is a Mickaboo press release for immediate distribution.

For your convenience, here are links to recent TV news coverage on the issue-

Birds may be added to ban on pet sales 6/10, SF ABC Channel 7 http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/video?id=7491424

SF leaders consider bird sale ban 6/18, SF ABC Channel 7 http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local/ san_francisco&id=7507345

And here, in an article and a book written by award-winning animal welfare journalist Mira Tweti, detailed more completely than I ever could, are the many reasons why banning pet bird sales is the right thing to do.

Plenty to Squawk About - Los Angeles Times - Award-winning LA Times Magazine expose' (which spurred the book) and helped to pass a precedent-setting bill to protect baby parrots in the pet trade (ie, pet stores & breeders selling them too young)

http://articles.latimes.com/2003/jul/20/magazine/tm-parrots29

Of Parrots and People: The Sometimes Funny, Always Fascinating and Often Catastrophic Collision of Two Intelligent Species

http://www.amazon.com/Parrots-People-Fascinating-Catastrophic- Intelligent/dp/0670019690

(It was lauded by everyone from Dr. Jane Goodall to Wayne Pacelle, Prez/CEO of the Humane Society of the US).

I send you my heartfelt appreciation for your efforts on behalf of this discussion.

-- Elizabeth, MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue

Until they all have homes, don't buy, don't breed- adopt. www.RescueReport.org www.MickaCoo.org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGjyooh3Yo0

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Tammy Azzaro Mickaboo♡