SOME GUIDE LINES WHEN YOU ARE ENQUIRING ABOUT LOST PETS
When you have lost your pet, in our case, birds, we completely understand the urgency and loss you are feeling. As board members of the rescue or what ever, I am sure we have all had a situation where our beloved pets have gone missing. Contrary to rumors or misguided information, we are here to reunite you with your pets if we can. In some cases, we are still looking, with every possible lead, for birds like BOB and RICKY who have been missing a very long time, and we will continue to do so. We are not interested in keeping peoples pets, I assure you we have enough of our own. We are also not in the habit of seeking out lost pets to sell them. Our goal is to get them back to YOU, the people who lost them, as soon as possible.While the high percentage of you all are lovely to us and work with us, there are a few TOO MANY who have abused, threatened, accused and gone on a face book rampage to discredit us. As an organisation that is caring for your lost pets, we should NOT have to tolerate this in any form and have decided we wont. If by chance there is a bird in our care that matches your missing family member, please message us. Talk with us about what the bird does, where it was lost. A classic example of what we will now not tolerate is a message YOU'VE GOT MY BIRD! GIVE ME MY BIRD! IM GOING TO THE POLICE! If you chose to act like children you will be treated the same way, and your bad behavior will be ignored and you will possibly be blocked. Not because we don’t want to return bird, but because as volunteers using our time, money and resources you should have a lot more respect. Some things you can do now to prepare for if you are to ever lose your bird. Have a think about it all and take some steps to ensure you get you bird back.
- Get your bird micro chipped. It is not expensive nor dangerous. It is solid proof you own the bird. Dr Christo at paralowie is the only one I would recommend at this stage to get this done. Big birds , small birds, they can all be done as long as healthy.
- Take photos!!!! Take hundreds!! Front on side on upside down I don’t care. Take them of every possible angle.
- Keep a journal of your birds behavior, what he says, he does, sings whistles, everything. When the time comes you need to remember these things you are already under enough stress and will help you remember and identify your bird.
Some other suggestions here are how to limit the chances of your birds escaping and increasing the chance of getting bird back if you can see them.
- Recall train your bird. Start in small steps with a reward system. Teach the bird to fly to you, reward the behaviour, each time moving a little further and further away. Use a command word so the bird knows this is what you are wanting him to do. Eventually you should be able to be anywhere in the house and call the bird to come to you. It takes time and patience.
- Close doors and windows. Do not allow your birds out until all doors and windows have been checked. If you have children, little and big, tell them your getting the birds out and to be vigilant with the doors. KEEP THEM SHUT!
- Clipping a bird, is not something I like to do but is not up for debate, but I will remind all this is not a fool proof way to keep your birds safe. A flighted bird is actually safer if he/she was to get out. If clipping wings you still must be very prepared that it could possibly still get away. Do NOT trust this as a safe guard.
WHEN YOU ARE REUNITED WITH YOUR BIRD
Please remember when you go to collect your bird, that that carer has spent their time, their money, their love and their homes to keep your pets safe. A kind gesture could be a box of seed, a bag or nectar. Remember we ALL do this out of our pockets, we are not looking for money, not even recognition, but please be kind enough to offer the carers something small. Obviously if you cant you cant. Me I don’t mind, how ever you kindness would not go unnoticed, and after all, due to the care they put in, the time they put in to finding you, it is really the least you could do.
I hope you will find some of this helpful and have a good think about some ways to ensure your birds don’t get out. They rely on us, like our children to keep them away from danger, they know no better. . While we all love what we do and there is no better feeling than getting your birds back to you, of late, the stress of rude, childish and out right inhumane treatment of myself and my carers is not something I will allow to continue, and we will stop our service.
You all see here the work we do, posting, and going over posts, following up what we can, any possible leads. But we also have jobs, families and commitments away from this. We stretch our selves to the limit to help you guys, and while we love doing it, when the abuse becomes a daily thing, we are having to sit back and re-evaluate where to go from here. I hope that you can all read , have a think about what’s been said, and work with us and then, we can continue to do what we do. Unfortunately with the rescue being a wild life rescue, if the decision has to be made to back away from lost pets or wild life, it will be the lost pets. I honestly hope it does not come to this.
To finish off want to thank my team for everything they do here on Lost Birds of Adelaide Caspers Rescue. You are truly amazing people with hearts of gold. So many babies wouldn’t be safe and back home if it wasn’t for you. Take a moment, reflect on the work you do do, forget the hate, and be proud. BE DAMN PROUD. I AM PROUD OF YOU ALL.
