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Smiths Falls has plenty to offer to visitors: historic locks of the Rideau Canal, heritage and railway museums, and emerging golf star Brooke Henderson. But, perhaps more unusually, the small town is also home to a small and unique sanctuary known as Parrot Partner.
Located in the Gallipeau Centre — formerly the Rideau Regional — the charity is the brainchild of Judy Tennant, who sold her house and all her belongings to pay to move her home-based aviary to the Centre.
“Every penny I have is in here,” Tennant told the Citizen. “It’s huge risk to finance the retrofitting of this aviary and to open it to the public, but it’s a risk worth taking. Parrots are the third most popular pets in North America after cats and dogs, yet they receive the least support.”
Founded in 2008 and converted into a charity in 2013, the bird sanctuary is currently at its maximum capacity with 27 parrots, with more on the waiting list. Besides much-needed rehabilitation, the sanctuary also provides training workshops, parrot-sitting services, as well as educational parrot birthday parties, shows, and camps to help cover costs.
Parrots are expensive pets and owners often lack the information necessary to properly take care of them, according to Tennant. They can also live up to 80 years, meaning parrots sometimes outlive their owners. As a result, many abandonned or poorly cared for parrots end up at the sanctuary because no other organization has the means, nor the specialized equipment, to house and rehabilitate mid- and large-sized parrots. (In some cases, it may be possible for someone to adopt a rehabilitated bird from Parrot Partner.)
To say that Tennant is committed to the care of parrots is an understatement. Having sold all her belongings, she now lives at her office next door to the aviary. She sleeps on a Murphy bed and showers with the parrots every morning.
“Hopefully the public will understand what we’re trying to do here. We wanted a sanctuary in which people could participate in helping the animals,” Tennant said.
“We tell people how to interact with the animals before they begin the tour and as a result every time people come visit the parrots get a little better,” she explained. “To me, that was something worth doing.”
One challenge for the aviary is its distance from Ottawa, where most of its visitors and many of its volunteers come from. Tennant hopes to eventually move the sanctuary to Ottawa, “ideally in partnership with a park like Wesley Clover.”
“Needless to say, we desperately need volunteers. We have about five regular volunteers who come in every week, but we would need about 25–30. Our volunteers work very hard and many drive in from Ottawa. That’s a lot to ask,” Tennant acknowledged.
The sanctuary hosts about 60 or so visitors per week during the summer, but that number is lower during the colder months. Despite the distance though, Tennant and her team are starting to encounter returning visitors.
“I loved the visit, I learn something new every time,” said 58-year-old visitor Jan Poole on Sunday.
“For example, I didn’t know parrots are monogamous and they mate for life, so when they lose their partners they actually mourn and could get depressed, hence why some pluck their own beautiful feathers. They’re like us, it’s very interesting,” Poole added.
The aviary has guided tours and is open to visitors of all ages during weekends. Ticket prices range between $6 – $12 with family discounts available. For more information, see parrotpartner.com or call (613) 284-4114.
avoski@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/anaisvoski
查看原文...
Located in the Gallipeau Centre — formerly the Rideau Regional — the charity is the brainchild of Judy Tennant, who sold her house and all her belongings to pay to move her home-based aviary to the Centre.
“Every penny I have is in here,” Tennant told the Citizen. “It’s huge risk to finance the retrofitting of this aviary and to open it to the public, but it’s a risk worth taking. Parrots are the third most popular pets in North America after cats and dogs, yet they receive the least support.”
Founded in 2008 and converted into a charity in 2013, the bird sanctuary is currently at its maximum capacity with 27 parrots, with more on the waiting list. Besides much-needed rehabilitation, the sanctuary also provides training workshops, parrot-sitting services, as well as educational parrot birthday parties, shows, and camps to help cover costs.
Parrots are expensive pets and owners often lack the information necessary to properly take care of them, according to Tennant. They can also live up to 80 years, meaning parrots sometimes outlive their owners. As a result, many abandonned or poorly cared for parrots end up at the sanctuary because no other organization has the means, nor the specialized equipment, to house and rehabilitate mid- and large-sized parrots. (In some cases, it may be possible for someone to adopt a rehabilitated bird from Parrot Partner.)
To say that Tennant is committed to the care of parrots is an understatement. Having sold all her belongings, she now lives at her office next door to the aviary. She sleeps on a Murphy bed and showers with the parrots every morning.
“Hopefully the public will understand what we’re trying to do here. We wanted a sanctuary in which people could participate in helping the animals,” Tennant said.
“We tell people how to interact with the animals before they begin the tour and as a result every time people come visit the parrots get a little better,” she explained. “To me, that was something worth doing.”
One challenge for the aviary is its distance from Ottawa, where most of its visitors and many of its volunteers come from. Tennant hopes to eventually move the sanctuary to Ottawa, “ideally in partnership with a park like Wesley Clover.”
“Needless to say, we desperately need volunteers. We have about five regular volunteers who come in every week, but we would need about 25–30. Our volunteers work very hard and many drive in from Ottawa. That’s a lot to ask,” Tennant acknowledged.
The sanctuary hosts about 60 or so visitors per week during the summer, but that number is lower during the colder months. Despite the distance though, Tennant and her team are starting to encounter returning visitors.
“I loved the visit, I learn something new every time,” said 58-year-old visitor Jan Poole on Sunday.
“For example, I didn’t know parrots are monogamous and they mate for life, so when they lose their partners they actually mourn and could get depressed, hence why some pluck their own beautiful feathers. They’re like us, it’s very interesting,” Poole added.
The aviary has guided tours and is open to visitors of all ages during weekends. Ticket prices range between $6 – $12 with family discounts available. For more information, see parrotpartner.com or call (613) 284-4114.
avoski@ottawacitizen.com
twitter.com/anaisvoski
查看原文...
