When you visit most animal shelters in search of a new pet, you'll probably be greeted by a variety of cats and dogs. However, the shelter that Vicki LeClaire of Fayetteville maintains offers animal companions of a different feather - literally. Miss Vicki's Parrot Village is home to several different birds in need of rehabilitation and adoption.
With the motto, "It takes a village to rescue a parrot!," the Parrot Village was officially incorporated as a non-profit organization this July and is licensed to shelter up to 20 birds at a time by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. LeClaire will also apply for a 501(c)(3) tax exemption at the beginning of next year.
LeClaire was first inspired to open a shelter specifically for parrots and other birds when she and her family took in a cockatoo that had been neglected by its previous owners to the point where it no longer had any feathers. It was then that she realized that many people don't know how to properly look after their birds or are otherwise unprepared for the large responsibility that they entail. Thus, she founded Miss Vicki's Parrot Village in order to help parrots find good homes and to provide support for their new owners.
The Parrot Village currently hosts 17 birds, including cockatiels, parakeets, two African Grays, three Amazons, and a Green-cheeked Conure named "Crash Monkey."
"Most of our birds come from people in Atlanta," LeClaire explained. Oftentimes, either their previous owners cannot afford to keep them, or lifestyle changes, such as a new baby or a significant other who cannot get along with the bird, force them to be given up for adoption.
The Parrot Village runs on a mission of four R's: Rescue, Rehabilitate, Recovery, and Re-Home. Parrots in need are taken in, treated and sheltered until they are ready for adoption, and then are carefully matched with a qualified new family. New birds have blood work done and are kept in quarantine until it is determined that they are disease-free and can safely mingle with the others.
Another service that the Parrot Village offers is boarding for owners who need someone to look after their birds while they're unavailable, or if they simply need a break. "It's like having a two-year-old" for what can be decades, LeClaire explained. The birds can get very noisy and demanding, and sometimes their owners just need to take a little time off from the responsibility.
LeClaire has also recently acquired a dealer's license for the Parrot Village, which means that she will start selling food, toys, cages, and other supplies for parrots that would normally be more expensive at a major pet store, and with fewer options available. "[It's] our way of helping people to keep their birds," she said.
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