Home > Help Us > Gimme Shelter! > Issue 1: August 2003 > Andy

Andy

Andy is a male Umbrella Cockatoo who began life in a large production breeding facility and was then sold at a local PETCO store. He was surrendered to MAARS in June 2002 when he was four years old because his guardian was moving, getting married, and had baby on the way and little time to spend with him. Andy had become loud and aggressive and arrived at MAARS a very angry bird. He screamed incessantly, thrashed against the bars of his cage, and launched aerial attacks on humans. Today he is one of the most gentle and loving of the many male Cockatoos that MAARS is home to each year.

Shortly after arriving at The Landing, Andy made a bold attempt to show the rest of the males in the Cockatoo flock that he embodied some serious competition: he strutted accross the cage-tops, stood right up to Rio — a resident, wild-caught male Moluccan Cockatoo who is about twice Andy's size and ten times his age — and nipped him on the wing. Rio looked stunned for an instant and then leaned forward and screamed angrily in Andy's ear for a good, solid minute, after which point Andy promptly hopped down onto the floor and stood on the foot of the nearest human with reluctant resignation. Needless to say he hasn't repeated that faux pas!

Andy is extremely intelligent and loves a challenge. Given a day or two, he has been able to escape from just about every cage and lock invented! Many Volunteers have arrived at The Landing to be greeted by Andy sitting on the food prep counter surrounded by the many shredded items he has amused himself with while out on his own. He also enjoys helping with various chores around The Landing, such as washing dishes, folding laundry, and cutting up fresh veggies, fruits and other yummies. He often plays with the young people who volunteer at The Landing and enjoys lots of attention and snuggles from staff and visitors alike.

Join the MAARS Flock Today…and Be the Wind Beneath Their Wings!

The MAARS Annual Membership Program gives you and our other loyal MAARS Supporting Flock Members the opportunity to help MAARS on an ongoing, sustaining basis. Your annual financial contribution will allow us to continue to provide and expand our valuable rescue, intake, care, veterinary and behavioral evaluation and treatment, adoption, sanctuary, outreach, and educational services for the displaced captive birds who we meet and the people whose lives they touch.

With so little, you can do so much to change the lives of birds like Andy. On average, it takes $1.00 per day to care for each MAARS bird. Every small donation makes a big difference, and big donations help even more. Your participation in the MAARS Annual Membership Program will help save and improve the lives of hundreds of parrots and other displaced captive birds.

Please join MAARS today! Give them shelter! Ease their pain! Stop the cycle! And know that you made one corner of the world a better place for another living creature!

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Mail a check or money order made out to "MAARS" to: MAARS, 1360 University Ave W #347, St. Paul, MN 55104.

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Click here for more information on the MAARS Annual Membership Program!

Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services, Inc., is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Federal ID# 41-1944074) and is registered with the Office of the Secretary of State and the Office of the Attorney General of Minnesota as a charitable organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

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