Advocacy 800+ - March 20, 2014

On Thursday, March 20th, I headed to the Refuge to ask the Director if I could visit Chris. I've not seen her in several weeks. I also took a couple more collars for the birds that I was going to give her.

At first I didn't get past the driveway. An acquaintance was driving out as I was driving in. So we both stopped our vehicles and rolled down our windows to have a chat. While we chatted, my friend kept me apprised of the commotion that my arrival seemed to have produced that was taking place behind me in the parking lot. Both the staff supervisor and and refuge manager were running around seemingly trying to decide what they should do or who should be notified. Shortly however, the Director's husband arrived, and since we were pretty much blocking the driveway, we watched as he expertly backed his truck around both of us and into a parking place near home. He stopped for an informal hello and proceeded across the parking lot into the arms, so to speak, of the refuge manager and staff supervisor, who appeared delighted to greet him. As my friend suggested he didn't appear to know who I am which was rather refreshing.

When my friend noticed "hubby" turning back toward us, she left. LOL I didn't blame her; no one likes comfrontation. I pulled my car over to the side of the driveway, out of the way, opened my door and waited for him. While Lorne's birthday cake melted in the back seat in the sun, I got an earful. Here's what I was told, not in any particular order:

- The Director has much credibility in the community and powerful, well-known friends. She had received that "peace award" right after Jane Goodall had received it. She and "hubby" were meeting with Jane herself next week. I don't stand a chance in this community.

- The Director and her hubby have travelled extensively. There is no refuge like theirs which cost upwards of 3/4 milliion dollars to build. And none are as good.

- There are no global standards for refuges; people who start refuges simply do the best they can.

- The only reason I was not charged with Theft of a bird, namely Bertie, was because the Director couldn't put her hands on the documentation I had signed.

- If I was given control of the refuge I'd never be capable of running it and raising $25,000 a month to keep it going.

- Anyone, like me, who creates an atmosphere of negativity around the refuge, isn't permitted on the property.

- Although I had complained to the BC SPCA, they had visited just last week and found everything to be in order. As a matter of fact they found no evidence of overcrowding and stated that there was room for a lot more parrots yet.

This doesn't sound like much now, but it seemed to take quite awhile to say. My responses, when I was allowed the opportunity to say something, went something like this:

- I come with my own credentials and have much more to offer parrots than sorting the refuge's recycling, cooking potatoes and washing dishes although I'm happy to do all of that and more. That is one of the main reasons that Lorne and I moved across the country to Parksville. Frankly neither the Director or her manager know shit about me and what I'm capable of.

- There are in fact global standards for Arboreal/Perching bird sanctuaries put together by respected members of the global community of animal sanctuaries. The fact that the Director was not invited to participate doesn't mean there are no standards. The next day I sent the link to the Standards to the Director's hubby by e-mail. He had given me his business card for that purpose.

- The only reason the Director couldn't put her hands on the surrender forms for Babe, Bertie and Chris, is because there are no signed surrender forms.

I really wish I'd had a tape recorder. My memory, at least at the moment, is exhausted. I know I didn't say much that I'd have said to anyone else. Somehow it doesn't sit well to tell a man his wife is an unconscionable liar and manipulator. Shrug.

March 8, 2014 - Complaint

To whom it may concern;

My name is Pat Phillips. My husband and I along with our seven parrots, one Canary and three cats, live in Parksville on Vancouver Island.

As I understand it, sometime last week, a customer of Bosleys, Parksville, complained to you about my presence in Bosleys, Parksville with my petition.

My husband and I have been residents of British Columbia for a relatively short time, less than two years. Prior to our move here, we resided in Scarborough, Ontario for 20+ years. I shopped and bought my pet supplies at the PetValu location at Kingston Road and Lawrence Avenue, in Scarborough, for as long as I can remember that store being there. I have consistently found the personnel at both stores to be friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. I was therefore very comfortable requesting a little space, out of the way, for me, two of my parrots and a small table to hold my petition. After reading my petition and ensuring that it didn't reflect on or represent Bosleys in any way, the owner of Bosleys, Parksville, gave me permission to do so.

Now had you bothered to do your homework, here is what you'd have learned:

1. My petition does not conflict with PetValu's mission statement which purports to, " ...support organizations that advocate and provide services for the humane treatment and wellbeing of animals in BC." http://www.thepetitionsite.com/811/239/095/no-more-parrots/


2. My petition is not against The World Parrot Refuge, but for the 800+ parrots warehoused there. My petition simply states that The World Parrot Refuge should not take in any more parrots until it complies with the global community's standards for bird sanctuaries. www.sanctuaryfederation.org/gfas/for-sanctuaries/standards/

3. One customer does not represent the community at  large. My Petition created a problem for one customer, not the community.

4. One customer of Bosleys, Parksville complained about my petition; 50 customers happily signed it.

I understand that on the basis of that one customer complaint you've decided that no petitions are to be allowed in the store in future. That is a  thoughtless, knee-jerk reaction to that complaint that may just result in the loss of a loyal PetValu customer of many years. I believe that the owner of Bosleys, Parksville and I deserve an apology.


Pat

Advocacy 800+ March 2, 2014

For the first time in many years I experienced what it's like to get two toddlers ready for daycare first thing in the  morning. I only had to get one ready and found that pressured enough. Yesterday morning, after breakfast and bird chores, I got Bertie and Babe and all my petition information together as well as lunch for the girls and me, pellets, Bertie's clicker training props and a variety of treats. Then we were off to the local pet store to promote the petition. The family that owns the pet store were very accommodating, providing me with a table and a prominent location near the checkout.

What a wonderful day we had. Babe delighted customers with her "hello" and sometimes "goodbye". She danced and whistled and had a great time. She's quite the ham. Bertie showed off her clicker training skills for customers, especially the children, until she was so full of sunflower seeds she could barely move. Not everyone was comfortable signing the petition. Some wondered where parrots could go if the Refuge stopped taking in more. Some would have preferred to sign a petition requiring that people be licensed to own a parrot (not a bad idea). One gentleman simply said no. Despite these few objections, we got 50 signatures. In the process we managed to educate some people including members of the next generation of caregivers about parrots, their needs and their dilemmas. When we left the store at 3PM  the three of us were exhausted. But I also feel renewed and energized now.

Bertie with her new friend, Erin.

Babe & Bertie stay occupied with foraging boxes.

A rare break in the action.

Relaxing for a minute.

Advocacy 800+ Intimidation tactic

Along this road of advocacy, various people, including my husband have worried about the Director of the Refuge calling the police on me. And frankly I wasn't worried...until it happened. Last Sunday, a lovely young female RCMP officer arrived at our door saying that the Director had accused me of stealing a bird from the Refuge. Having arrived at the door with Bertie on my shoulder, I figured the best approach would be to invite her in and keep Bertie with me so that the officer could assess her relationship to us herself, while we chatted. I agreed that I had  removed my bird, Bertie, from the Refuge and told her why. However, because the Director had waited two months to lay this complaint, I couldn't show the officer the hole in Bertie's chest that prompted me to remove her from the Refuge; it was almost completely healed. The officer seemed most concerned about how she could tell who actually owned Bertie. So, I explained:

- how we had come to leave our girls, Bertie and Chris at the Refuge to begin with.
- that we had given the Director a cheque for $1000. to cover their care for one year. Later we had sent her   another $1000. for a second year.
- that I was so emotionally distraught the day that we left the girls at the Refuge, if the Director asked me to     sign a surrender form, I didn't hear her and I certainly didn't offer to do so.
- that  I'd owned Bertie since 1999 and had the name of the young man I got her from as well as the names     and contact information of people in Ontario who knew me and knew Bertie.
- that the Director has no documentation to prove that she owns Bertie.
- that the RCMP could expect to receive more complaints from the Director and why.

When the officer left some time later, she said that she didn't feel that the situation required police involvement and that she would be informing the Director likewise. That's when my heart stopped pounding through my chest. [smile]

Advocacy 800+ January 12, 2014

Today, as usual, I loaded up my treat bag, cut up some of Lorne's whole wheat bread and headed for the Refuge. On arrival, I went into the Thrift Shop to pay my admissions fee. Now that I'm no longer a volunteer, I have to pay $12.00 to get in to see the birds. Bette asked me if I was Pat. I said yes. She proceeded to tell me that the Director had  given her a picture of me and said I was not allowed in. I admit it took me by surprise. Why, I don't know; the Director seldom tells me anything to my face. What I did notice is that the photo that the Director had given Bette was the one on the Scotties tissue box sleeve that I'd had made for her as a fund-raising idea. In any event I left the Thrift Shop; I certainly wouldn't make things difficult for Bette. But I had brought two more collars that I'd made. So, I headed over to the Director's place to give them to her. She saw me through the door and came out yapping like a small dog. I had difficulty getting a word in edgewise...not that she'd have heard anything I had to say anyway. She said she was tired of my writing and tired of the articles I write and didn't need me around. She said that others she has  spoken with think I'm nuts. I did manage to ask her if she was saying I could no longer visit Babe. She said yes, that I was probably planning a way to steal her too. She also said something about not only stealing a bird but advertising it too. I'm not sure what she meant by that. I did manage to ask her if she wanted the collars; she said yes, "for the birds". I also told her that I wouldn't be going anywhere; I wasn't about to slink away because she didn't know how to play nice. So, that's it for now. And yes, it hurts. In a couple of months, I'll try again. In the meantime I have a bit more time to work on the petition etc.


Pat
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/811/239/095/no-more-parrots/

Advocacy 800+ Petition

For several weeks now, I've not been able to access this Blog. Now I have access but I cannot add photos; My "tag" is broken!!! On February 4, 2014 I started a Petition http://www.thepetitionsite.com/811/239/095/no-more-parrots/ in order to coax,urge, push, and or force the Refuge management to start complying with the Global Standards for Arboreal/Perching Bird Sanctuaries. My description is necessarily lacking the amount of detail that many people need before committing to the Petition. But without standing, credibility, or reputation in the avian and Oceanside communities, I must necessarily take great care to avoid libelist statements however true. That having been said I'm meeting people, through the petition who know the details for themselves. I'll add some photos here that provide some details if you look carefully. However, had I known when I started as a volunteer, what I know now, I'd have many more photos to substantiate and support what I've seen.

Chris with her Black-headed Parrot friend

That's not a stretch; it's a deformed wing.

The floor is Sore-toe's home.

Note no tail.

Babe

The only access to a bath, a spray bottle.

Home sweet home.

Derby and his box.

Blind 

Also  blind.

Extended Care Unit

Another "ground" dweller.

What a sad little creature!

A beat up Budgie in the Extended Care Unit.

A picture of misery.

Life in a large flight.

Kiwi, a Blue-Fronted Amazon, our hitchhiker to the Refuge.

Escapee from the large flight. Now lives on the florescent light.

Beakless

Hungry for attention, even just a hand shake.

Behaviourists donate to parrots

From the Oceanside Star January 30, 2014

This month, the World Parrot Refuge will be the first Canadian recipient of multiple donations coming conceivably from all corners of the Earth. Let me explain.

Dr. Susan Friedman is a psychology professor at Utah State University and a practicing behaviourist. She was among the first, if not the first, behaviourist to bring applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to parrots and their caregivers.

ABA is the analysis of the relationship between behaviour and the environment within which it occurs. Parrot caregivers often struggle with parrot behaviour which can be destructive, uncomfortable and/or painful. ABA helps caregivers understand why a behaviour occurs, and identify interventions that will change a behaviour.

In 2001, Dr. Friedman designed and began teaching a six-week on-line course called Living and Learning With Parrots (LLP). Students learn the basics of ABA and learn how to use it to identify and change the behaviours of their parrots that caregivers find problematic. Canadian Lee McGuire has been Dr. Friedman's teaching partner since 2004.

The course has been so successful that the 13-month wait to take the course when I took it in 2004 is now at least 24 months. It's now an eight-week course. Parrot caregivers from all walks of life and many countries continue to register for and take this course. And today graduates of that course help teach it, expanding the class size from an original 20 to 80 or so.

The fee for this course is a voluntary $50 donation to a charity chosen by Dr. Friedman as that class's recipient. The January 2014 LLP class donations recipient is the World Parrot Refuge in Coombs.

While Dr. Friedman is no doubt excited to know just how much will be donated by January's students, Wendy Huntbatch and charities like the World Parrot Refuge know that, whatever the amount, every dollar counts and will be appreciated.

Pat Phillips
Parksville

(Unbeknownst to me, my submission was edited somewhat before publishing. In my original I wrote that Dr. Friedman's choice of the World Parrot Refuge was also in houour of Lee McGuire.)