GlobalGiving's Matching Gift Day - Help the Canaries Today!

Final update:

Wow!  Thanks to your generosity, we raised a grand total of $16,903!  This includes $3460 in matching funds and $500 in bonus prize funds.  WOOHOO! 

I am sure all of the canaries will be singing your praises tomorrow morning as the sun rises.  From all of them and all of our volunteers - thank you.

4:00 pm update:

Thanks to all of you, we have raised an incredible $10,000 so far, from 66 of our supporters, with additional bonus and matching dollars to be determined.  

Mickaboo is solidly in the running for winning bonus prizes for most unique donors and most $ donations (worth $200-$500 each).  At the moment we have $800 in bonus prize money - we need to hang onto those prizes! Those of you who haven't given yet... please consider? Any amount ($10+) counts!  And those of you who have already given - tell a friend! 

The giving link is here.  All amounts are appreciated by our volunteers and birds, and will help other birds experience the joy of good health and a sunny environment.

Thank you for your support!

2:00 pm update:

Thanks to all of you, we have raised $6,158 so far, from 48 of our supporters, with additional bonus and matching dollars to be determined.  

Mickaboo is in the running for winning bonus prizes for most unique donors and most $ donations (worth $200-$500 each).  We currently have $800 in bonus prize money - it would be great to hang onto that!  Sooo, those of you who haven't given yet... please consider!  Any amount ($10+) counts!  And those of you who have already given - spread the word to your friends! 

The giving link is here.  All amounts are appreciated by our volunteers and birds.

Thanks for considering!

11:15 am update:

Twenty-seven generous souls have collectively given $4355 - a little less than 20% of the canary flock's veterinary costs so far.  That's a marvelous start!  Help us get closer to our $23,000 fundraising goal by giving here - and your funds will be matched if received by 9 pm today.

GlobalGiving's last matching day of 2017 is today! From 6 am – 9 pm PT, GlobalGiving will match your online donations, up to $1,000 per donor per project. The match rate will be determined by how much Mickaboo raises as a percentage of all monies raised. This means donations made during the entire day will count! Head to this link to give.

Your donations will help all of our birds, and especially those in our recent aviary rescue.  The below is an in-depth look at the large flock of canaries in that rescue. 

The entire flock of beautiful and varied canaries was in terrible health. Several have died, and it is likely that more will soon, despite specialized veterinary care. They were infected with malaria and canary pox, both carried by mosquitoes [canaries are susceptible to several mosquito-borne diseases, so outdoor aviaries should include protective screening] as well as cryptosporidium, an intestinal parasite; macrorhabdus, or avian gastric yeast; and parasitic nematodes. Not all of the canaries were afflicted with all of these things, but some did have everything listed above, and none of them were free of illness. Neither malaria nor canary pox is curable, although they are not always fatal. They do, however, weaken the bird and shorten its life expectancy.

We decided to treat the birds for the conditions that could be treated and give supportive care to save as many as possible. Because there were so many very sick birds needing veterinary care, this has been the single most expensive rescue in Mickaboo's history. 

There were 31 canaries in all — an unusually large number of these small birds, especially for Mickaboo, which doesn’t receive very many canaries. One long-time volunteer with a big heart, M.A. Samuelson, offered to foster all 31 of them. After it became clear the birds would require an unusually long treatment and recovery period, with no guarantee of full recovery, M.A. built an aviary for them. Designed to protect them from the environment while providing room to fly and exercise, this aviary would give them the best chance to recover. 

We were extremely fortunate that M.A. had the space and the willingness to create such a fantastic indoor/outdoor aviary space suitable for this large canary flock.

Some of the canaries are still hospitalized, as are a few of the other birds from the same rescue.  But most of the birds, including the canaries, will survive and live comfortable and happy lives.

Veterinary expenses for the canaries have reached $23,000 and continue to rise. Please help us with this extraordinary rescue by giving now - any amount will help - and today, will be matched by GlobalGiving funds!  Watch this blog space, or Mickaboo's Facebook page, for updates during the day!