Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services, Inc. (MAARS) - Bird adoption, sanctuary, rescue, and care education services for parrots and other captive exotic 'pet' birds. News and Events

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MAARSianChronicles

Issue 7: December 2002

In This Issue:

• Happy Holidays from MAARS!

• Second Annual Silent Auction a Big Success!

• University of Pennsylvania Vets and Abaxis Study MAARS Birds

• Presents for Parrots

• Cool Holiday Gift Ideas

• 2002 Tax-Deductible Donations

Happy Holidays from MAARS!

On behalf of the hundreds of displaced captive birds we serve, the Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services (MAARS) Board of Directors would like to offer our Volunteers, adopters, and supporters our most heartfelt holiday good wishes and thanks for your ongoing support as we turn 3.5 years old! This has been another incredible year for MAARS, providing us with many opportunities to add more feathers to our hat.

This summer, MAARS Board of Directors members, Eileen McCarthy, Kathy Pietig, Angela Moyer, and Karen Dragon, traveled throughout the country to attend and speak on the topics of avian rescue and placement at four conferences, including the Avian Welfare Round Table sponsored by the Avian Welfare Coalition, the Conference on Homeless Animal Management & Policy (C.H.A.M.P.), the Association of Avian Veterinarians Conference and Expo, and the National Humane Conference sponsored by the American Humane Association. These conferences provided wonderful opportunities for MAARS to share our expertise in avian welfare issues and to network with other professionals in the fields of rescue, sheltering, placement, humane and care education, avian veterinary medicine, legislation, conservation, and ethics.

In July, MAARS earned the distinct honor of being only the second bird sanctuary and placement facility in the country accredited by The Association of Sanctuaries (TAOS). This official accreditation indicates that MAARS has met TAOS' high standards of care and operation and has achieved excellence in animal rescue and care and in organizational operations.

To support our services and programs, MAARS sponsored several fundraising events in 2002, including our annual Summer Garage Sale, a Pampered Chef party, a Fall Bulb Fundraiser for the Birds, and our Second Annual MAARS Benefit Silent Auction and Buffet. Bird food, toys, cages, and other supplies and equipment are now available for sale to adopters and Volunteers at the MAARStore at The Landing and through the Volunteer Store on our website. Our public online MAARStore has also expanded to include many affiliate programs whose sales help to support the birds we serve. We are planning to expand both our walk-in and online stores in the near future to provide the best possible bird care products.

We are proud of our achievements in 2002 and look forward to continuing our growth in 2003! Thank you so much for your support, and check our website and the MAARSianChronicles for the latest MAARS News & Events.

Second Annual Silent Auction a Big Success!

Just as we hoped, our Second Annual MAARS Benefit Silent Auction and Buffet fundraiser was lots of fun and raised thousands of dollars to help care for our birds housed at The Landing and The Oasis Sanctuary! The evening started at 5:00 on November 1st with a cocktail hour, followed by time to review and bid on a variety of fabulous auction items, including restaurant, retail, and entertainment gift certificates, art, home decor, gift baskets, wild and captive bird food and supplies, and lots more. The crowd then moved into the dining room, which was decorated in a jungle motif to celebrate this year's theme, "Born to Be Wild." While enjoying a yummy vegetarian and vegan buffet, including portobello mushroom/potato lasagna and a hearty harvest vegetable stew, attendees were treated to a presentation by Dr. Stewart Metz on the physical and mental challenges birds — especially cockatoos — face in captivity when they aren't allowed to express their instinctive behaviors and be the wild birds they were born to be. Everyone left with a new awareness of the growing issues of bird displacement and a better understanding of what we need to do to start to improve the lives of the birds we love so much, both in captivity and in the wild.

Thanks so much to everyone who attended and/or supported this year's Silent Auction with funding or item contributions! When you purchase your 2003 parrot calendar, be sure to reserve Friday, November 7th, for next year's event.

University of Pennsylvania Vets and Abaxis Study MAARS Birds

November 14–16, Dr. Karen Rosenthal, Dr. Matthew Johnston, and Dr. Monica Murphy, veterinarians from the University of Pennsylvania, and computer expert, Scott Ballard, from California-based Abaxis, Inc., perched at The Landing to give physical exams and draw blood from many MAARS parrots in order to test Abaxis' VetScan, a cutting-edge medical diagnostic equipment product. VetScan provides blood chemistry levels within minutes, allowing veterinarians to quickly diagnose and prescribe treatment plans without having to wait hours or days for lab results. Funded by Abaxis, the goal of this study is to determine average baseline blood chemistry ranges for each species of parrot and reptile. MAARS was very fortunate to be chosen to participate because all of our birds received free veterinary exams and blood work-ups. In addition, we feel obligated and honored to contribute to avian welfare in all its forms by furthering the knowledge humans have about the lives of birds by supporting medical, nutritional, and behavioral research. Thanks to the University of Pennsylvania vets, Abaxis, and MAARS Volunteers and adopters for their cooperation on this exciting project!

Presents for Parrots

Play Santa for the parrots at The Landing this holiday season by purchasing their favorite toys and perches for their stockings through our Presents for Parrots program! Select from the top ten favorites on our website and check out using our secure shopping cart. Your order will be shipped directly to The Landing to be distributed to the parrots now through the new year — even the ones who have been more naughty than nice. Thank you so much for helping to make the holidays special and fun for the MAARS birds!

Cool Holiday Gift Ideas

Already Planning to Shop Online This Holiday Season?

Click here first before you shop! iGive.com offers MAARS supporters the opportunity to contribute a tax-deductible percentage of each sale made through hundreds of the most popular online retailers. Dude, are you buying a new Dell computer online for yourself or your favorite student this year? MAARS gets a percentage of the sale. Does Mom have her eye on a new sweater from J.Jill, L.L Bean, Land's End, or another store? MAARS gets a percentage of the sale. Need to decorate for the holidays with flowers from FTD or something sensational from Martha Stewart? MAARS gets a percentage of the sale. Stocking up for 2003 on office supplies or equipment from OfficeMax or OfficeDepot? Sign up with iGive.com first, shop through the iGive.com Mall, and MAARS gets a percentage of each sale. What could be easier?

2003 Parrot Calendars

Purchase your favorite parrot calendar in time for the new year through our affiliate program with DirectCalendars.com! Species include African Greys, Amazons, Budgerigars, Cockatiels, Cockatoos, Lovebirds, and Macaws. MAARS gets 20% of each order to help us care for our birds.

MAARS T-Shirts, Mugs & Other Items

MAARS has teamed up with CafePress.com to bring you several high-quality logo merchandise items that make perfect gifts for the bird lovers on your list. Our line includes shirts, mugs, hats, and much more. Designs feature original artwork and photography donated by MAARS Volunteers. Proceeds from the sales go to help support the birds at MAARS.

2002 Tax-Deductible Donations

Online Donations

Network for Good, the Internet's leading charitable resource, provides MAARS with the opportunity to receive secure online credit card donations from our supporters free of charge. Click here to make your year-end, tax-deductible contribution to MAARS over the internet.

Mail Donations

We also happily accept donations the old-fashioned way! Just send a check made out to "MAARS" to:

Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services (MAARS)

P.O. Box 821, Stillwater, MN 55082

Thank you so much for your continued support this year and in 2003!

Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services (MAARS)

P.O. Box 821, Stillwater, MN 55082

Phone: (651) 275-0568

Fax: (651) 275-0457

E-mail: birds@maars2.org

Website: http://www.maars2.org

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.