A group of us gathered at noon today (22 March 2008) in the Special Needs Unit of the Refuge for an exciting event. Howard Blank, on behalf of the Great Canadian Casinos Nanaimo, presented Wendy Huntbatch, founder of the Refuge, with a cheque for $11,111.48! Many of our beloved residents gathered around to see if they could help to examine the cheque, but fortunately nobody shredded it to build a nest! This incredible donation is actually "found" money, that is, unclaimed money that is collected at casino venues and saved for charitable donations. Great Canadian Casinos continues to be an incredible supporter of the Refuge, and Howard Blank's personal support has made a world of difference to all the parrots of the World Parrot Refuge. This money will be the "seed" money to start building the WPR Avian Veterinary Hospital, and brings the dream of full medical services on-site closer to reality. Thank you to everyone who came out to show support, and thank you to the Great Canadian Casinos Nanaimo!

2 January 2007

As always, at this time of year we reflect upon the 12 months we have left behind. Naturally there are some days that I would rather not have endured. The day that Revenue Canada seized the bank accounts of the Refuge and the Gift Shoppe was, I think, the most emotionally disastrous day of my life. Although Horst and I had personally donated thousands of dollars to pay for food and heat for the birds as well as five months' wages for our valuable employees, we just did not have any money left to pay Revenue Canada.

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Please click on the thumbnails below to learn how you can help some special birds have a home for life through our "Virtual Adoption" program!

Birds who are now partly sponsored, thank you!

Birds who are now fully sponsored, thank you!

"The World Parrot Refuge is a true sanctuary where parrots live out their lives in a loving, spacious and happy environment under the guidance of extraordinarily caring people. The many visitors destined to pass through the refuge will come to understand that parrots are not toys or trophies, but beings with needs and emotions as real as our own."

– Rosemary Low (author of more than 30 books on parrots)

"This is, in a word, a great place and these miraculous creatures deserve no less, but few places can deliver it this well. It is, indeed, 'world class'."

– Stewart Metz (author and Director of the Indonesian Parrot Project), after his visit at the Grand Opening of the Refuge on August 13, 2005.