We are so excited to announce our new Donation Can program!

Many thanks to Gary who provided the incentive for this program by asking if the refuge had donation cans. I said not right now...but we'd get some! The past week has been spent getting the cans, designing the labels, receiving feedback, printing the labels and assembling the cans.

Gary has now taken 25 cans to distribute around the Surrey/Delta areas of the Lower Mainland, BC, and has plans to visit vets and other appropriate venues.

If you would like to help out with our new Donation Can program as a distributor, or have contacts in organizations and/or businesses that would be willing to "host" a can, please contact Cheryl. There are currently 25 cans left to be distributed.

Thank you!

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Update July 6, 2010: Thank you so much, everyone! All you wonderful "friends of parrots" have been so fantastic and generous that we've got everyone back to work again. It is truly with your support that we are able to continue helping the over 800 birds here.  Thank you so very, very much!

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17 MORE PEOPLE FACE THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE: LOSS OF BC GAMING GRANT DEVASTATES THE PARROT SANCTUARY.

The closing of 2 large rescue organizations in Canada in the last 2 years has dramatically increased the flow of parrots to the World Parrot Refuge in Coombs, BC, which is now housing more than 800 birds. The loss of the BC Government Gaming Grant has almost crippled this organization.

With the generosity of loving people and the fund raising ventures of volunteers and staff, the sanctuary has kept its head above water - until now. We need to raise about $30k to get through till the tourist season is under way. Tourism season puts us back in the black for a few months and gives us the chance to apply for grants.

We need the hard working, caring staff to provide this loving home to these previously owned pet parrots and aging ex-breeding birds. Our staff work for just above minimum wage and add hours of volunteer labor because of their devotion to the birds they love.

Now they face the unemployment line.

If the government had used common sense, they could see that it is far cheaper to donate $100k of the Gaming Funds to this charity instead of now having to pay out EI funds. The job market on Vancouver Island is bleak to say the least. To be able to provide steady employment to 17 people is a great help to the economy. These people have families and they spend money. The loss of their jobs will not only devastate them, but will cause great hardship for those of us who volunteer to care for the parrots.

The government gladly takes the tax money from the sale of parrots to the public. Happily grabs tax money from each and every sale of cages, toys and bird food, but bears no responsibility for the problems associated with a trade that should not even exist.

We add a great venue to the tourism industry and provide tax dollars to the government. We want to be open for the upcoming tourist season, but we need the funding to make this possible.

If you are able to help sponsor our staff until tourist season begins, we would be most grateful. The birds depend on our staff, and without them we won't be able to give them the type of care that is needed to provide a Home For Life.

On March 3rd, the World Parrot Refuge was the recipient of a wonderful benefit concert orchestrated by Toronto singer-songwriter, Lindi Ortega.  Lindi is an avid supporter of the Refuge, and organized the benefit which featured many talented and generous local musicians.  Wendy was invited to attend, and she returned with rave reviews and wonderful memories.

From Wendy:

The Benefit Concert was amazing.  The people involved are all professional singer/songwriters and/or bands.  They donated their time and work to raise funds for the Parrot Refuge - and they didn't even know who we were.  John, the sound guy, worked all night - he is brilliant.  The room at the Supermarket was donated by the owners for the concert.  I just cannot get over how much was done by these people because they care for other living beings. 

The location will be in my memory for years.  It was like being transported back to the Hippie Era.  The whole street was definitely 'different'.  It was way after 2am when I left, and the streets were full of people.  Coombs closes everything at 9pm!

The concert raised a fantastic $625.  Lindi worked so hard to get this organized, and believe me:  it went as smooth as cream - not even one hitch.  We even have a new contact who will be a halfway house for surrendered parrots in the Toronto area.  This concert has opened the eyes of many and has given us more exposure than we could have dreamed of.  And we have Lindi as a friend and supporter for life.  She is a true parrot person.

The World Parrot Refuge would like to sincerely thank Lindi and her friends, The Supermarket, and everyone else who helped make this such a special evening.  And for all music fans out there, do take a moment to check these musicians out.  They are all wonderful, talented, good-hearted people!

Sara Kamin
Mandipaal Jandu
The FrameWork
Emma-Lee
The Donefors
Dylan Murray
Lindi Ortega

The Supermarket, Toronto

Thank you all, so much!

We are thrilled to announce that a short documentary by Danny Mauro and Hayley Crooks called "A Home For Life" has been selected to screen at the Kingston Film Festival before the feature length films "Reel Injun" and "A Shine of Rainbows".

This short documentary features Wendy and the World Parrot Refuge!  Cogeco’s Danny Mauro (Sport Diver TV, Blue Realm, National Geographic) and local filmmaker Hayley Crooks (Only For You official selection of the Kingston Canadian Film Festival 2009) created the short documentary about the "fascinating world of neglected and abused exotic birds and the people that rescue and care for them".

You can see Danny filming his proposal to the Discovery HD channel for "A Home For Life" here:

The feature length films will both be playing March 6th at 12:25pm and 7:10pm respectively. If you are in Kingston, Ontario and able to attend the screenings, we'd love to hear about it!

The For the Love Of Parrots Refuge Society (FLOPRS) Annual General Meeting will be held at the World Parrot Refuge on March 14 at 11 am.

Grant Corriveau is a special volunteer who devotes much of his time to helping our parrot friends. Grant has a wonderful blog with anecdotes, photos and videos of his experiences as a volunteer at the World Parrot Refuge. Share his adventures, and learn why it's such a heart-warming and emotional experience to be part of giving these amazing parrots a "home for life". Visit Grant's site here - West Coast Chronicles.

Thanks for all you do, Grant!