Approximately 4 years ago, I was asked to help a fellow board member with the removal of several parrots from a very filthy and dangerous home.

The owner of the home was well known to local police and animal control officers. She has a long history of psychiatric issues. The breeding and sale of the birds was how she supported herself.  We had been visiting periodically, whenever we could talk our way in, to try to talk her into letting us provide her birds with new homes.  She was about to be foreclosed on, and needed to get the birds and her dog out of the house.  She could not take them with her where she was going to live.  On what was to be our last visit, to pick up some paperwork on the birds, she started talking about the rest of her birds.  We checked each room ,  but did not find any other birds.  As we were about to leave, she asked us if we wanted to see the African greys.  In the nearly year that this other board member, and the 3 months that I had been going with her to the house, not once had she ever mentioned the greys.  We were led downstairs to a dark, dank basement, she turned on a small light.  On the back wall, next to an oil tank and furnace, was a filthy cage with nothing in it, but a food dish, water dish and nesting box.  There were no perches or anything else that provide a way for the birds to perch.  We were shocked into silence at first.  There was an African grey, Bego (whose mate had died) and Pina, an Timneh grey in the cage.  She was trying to force them to breed.  Unsuccessfully.  As we had brought the carrier down with us, we told her we could take the greys with us.  She said that she would help us get the birds out.  She picked up a large stick and told us “she got the birds out of the box by banging on the bars behind the breeding box until they fell out”.  Then she netted them, trapping them in the bottom of the cage until she could change their food and water dish.  As she started to swing the stick, I rushed her and immobilized her while telling the other board member to get the birds and get out of the house.  When I met my partner in rescue outside, we were both shaken.  This person had birds throughout the house, in every nook and cranny, but she never mentioned the grays.  We never did learn how long those birds were in the basement.  I called the animal control officer to come pick up the dog, and we went back in the house to check one more time, we afraid we might have missed other birds. Then, we delivered the birds to (initials for privacy) GRL, she has been an excellent guardian for these birds, caring for them on their level of acceptance, and through her patience and love, they became less fearful.  Her care has brought them back to good health. Although the birds are fearful of humans if they come too close, they are curious about who is in the house.  When we would have our meetings at GRL's house, the birds would watch and listen from the other room (they could see us) and occasionally they would chime in.  Unfortunately, GRL has had some medical issues that are now compelling her to find a forever home for Bego and Pina.  All of us are very sad, as we all care deeply for Bego and Pina.

Written and submitted by -Cindy H.