Flights of fancy: Wings of Hope-NJ rescues exotic birds
http://www.app.com/life/critters/story/0,2269,889778,00.html
Published in the Asbury Park Press 01/19/04
By MARY ANN CAVALLARO
SPECIAL TO THE PRESS
Why are two women taking time from their exhaustive schedule of
working in the demanding health-care profession and raising toddlers,
to devote time to start a bird rescue and sanctuary?
Co-founders of Wings of Hope-NJ, Leesa Jenkins-Brown and Jannet King,
both of Jackson, explain their motivation.
"There is a great need out there," says Jenkins-Brown, a full-time
licensed practical nursing student and mother of six
boys. "Rehabilitation of abused pets is rewarding," says Jannet King,
mother of two toddlers who works as a pediatric LPN.
Jenkins-Brown and King describe Wings of Hope-NJ as "not a rescue
alone," but an effort to educate the public. They believe the public
purchases birds without doing sufficient homework regarding the long
life span of the bird. As a result, the pet owner may not be able to
carry out the long-term commitment of pet care.
"Lack of education is a major reason for abandonment," says Jenkins-
Brown.
For example, the life span of a macaw, a member of the parrot family,
is 60 years while the life span of a cockatiel is 18 to 20 years.
Unwanted pet birds are accepted at WOH-NJ, and in turn are adopted
out to qualified applicants. Wild birds are not accepted for rescue.
Jenkins-Brown and King believe that all animals deserve the highest-
quality care, love and respect, and that owners should have access to
the most current bird information possible.
Although WHO-NJ focuses on birds, it also rescues small animals such
as ferrets and guinea pigs. Using their own money, Jenkins-Brown and
King provide the major portion of the organization's financing. WOH-
NJ is currently in the process of applying for nonprofit status,
which allows them to apply for funding-assistance programs. A
newsletter also is planned.
The adoption process is aimed at ensuring a good match between the
applicant and the rescue pet. The applicant fills out an adoption
form that includes a $10 nonrefundable fee. References and a home
visit are part of the process. If the match proves to be a poor one,
the rescue pet can be returned to Wings of Hope-NJ.
Leesa Jenkins-Brown from Wings of Hope with a macaw.
The birds get veterinarian care and are quarantined for 40 to 60 days
to rule out diseases such as proventricular dilatation disease,
Giardia and Psittacosis. PDD, also known as Macaw Wasting Disease,
attacks the nervous system of the bird's digestive tract. Giardia is
a parasite contracted by drinking contaminated water. This organism
is found not only in birds, but humans, dogs and cats. Psittacosis
involves the respiratory tract and is transmissible to humans.
King says they have been using one of their foster homes strictly for
quarantine, then moving the birds elsewhere. The foster home has no
other animals.
Jenkins-Brown and King keep some birds in their own homes and in
foster homes. Their long-range goal is to establish a place where the
birds can live in their natural habitat.
Wings of Hope-NJ is seeking volunteers, foster and permanent homes for exotic pet birds. For information contact Wings of Hope-NJ, Box 214, Jackson, NJ 08527, (732) 833-7825 or visit http://www.wingsofhope-nj.com.
from the Asbury Park Press
Published on January 19, 2004
Posted on SHARE Yahoo group Jan. 20, 2004