Puppy Mill Dogs Get a Second Chance - Animal Welfare League of ...

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Puppy Mill Dogs Continued
offered for adoption and both were
adopted fairly quickly. Of the remaining
four, one male bichon needed
further medical tests before neutering
and another male bichon was so
fearful of people that we transferred
him to a foster home for socialization.
Two of the dogs needed extensive
dental work (paid for by the Woody
and Mickey Healthy Pet Fund) and
neutering before they would be ready
for adoption.
At this writing we have two puppy
mill rescue dogs on view for adoption
waiting for someone who has the
experience, time, and patience to
rehabilitate a dog that has never known
a home or what it is like to be a
companion. We hope that by the time
of publication all the dogs that were
ready for adoption will have found
their forever homes.
One of the rescued puppy mill dogs waits in the Fairfax County
transport van. Photo by Mary O'Malley.
The Tweet Life
Parrots have fascinated humans for
hundreds of years. Their amazing
colors, comical and interactive
behavior, and their ability to mimic
speech and other sounds have made
them popular pets around the world.
The League often has parrots available
for adoption; the most common birds
that we get are cockatiels and budgies.
Both types of birds make wonderful
pets for new parrot owners.
The general term parrot encompasses
the nearly 350 species in the
order Psittaciformes (Psittacines). In
the order Psittaciformes there are two
families, Psittacidae (true parrots) and
Cacatuidae (cockatoos.) A Budgie is
more commonly known in the United
States as a Parakeet. The term
Parakeet actually refers to any one of a
large number of unrelated small parrot
species. Males and females tend to be
monomorphic -- both males and
females look the same.
Parrots can make wonderful pets if
you take the time to consider the
following questions:
How much time do I have to devote
to a pet bird? Generally, the larger the
Pawpourri Winter 2008
Is a parrot the right pet for you?
by Jennifer Lagasca
bird the more destructive and vocal it
can be if it feels that it is not receiving
as much attention as it likes.
How long can I expect a parrot to
live? Again, the size of the bird has a
great deal to do with life span.
Cockatiels often live well into their
20’s and the larger parrots, like a
macaw, can live more than 80 years!
What sort of housing does a parrot
need? The size of the bird is a guide
for the size of the cage. The parrot
should be able to stand on any perch
with its wings fully extended without
touching another perch or cage wall.
(The League has more specific
guidelines on cage size for birds
adopted from us.)
The cage placement is also something
to be considered. It should not
be near heating or air conditioning
vents and should be placed out of
direct sunlight and away from drafts as
parrots can be very sensitive to hot and
cold. The cage should also be kept
away from the kitchen because parrots
are extremely sensitive to fumes from
teflon and other cleaning products
Stewie, a sun conure, was
adopted in July 2007.
commonly found in the kitchen.
How much cleaning is required?
Ideally, you should clean the cage daily
and do a thorough cleaning of perches
and toys once a week.
What does a parrot eat? A parrot
needs a variety of fresh fruits and
vegetables as well as a mixture of
seeds and pellets. Some foods are
toxic to parrots. It is important to