Jane Goodall Attends the Opening of Foster Parrots Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary in Hopkinton, Rhode Island

 The underlying message: don't buy a bird and stuff it in a cage to live its life. It's cruel, no matter how you try to rationalize it. It's hard to think of anything more maddening, or mentally crippling, than being forced to live trapped for your entire life - paricularly when you naturally have the ability to soar across the sky. How anyone can not see this is baffling, and I am constantly baffled, as even good friends and family have failed to comprehend this logical notion. Thousands of people "adopt" these defenseless creatures, supporting the cruel bird trade and contributing to a problem that is largely unnoticed in animal welfare. It's not cute. It's just cruel.

Marc Johnson and Karen Windsor are trying to fight the cruelty in the best way they know how.  

Established in Rockland, MA, for the past 14 years, Johnson and co-director Windsor have established Foster Parrots as one of the nation’s most high-profile avian rescues. But they hadn’t the adequate space to truly run the sanctuary they dreamed about.

On Wednesday, May 7, the couple officially relocated to Hopkinton, Rhode Island, where they opened the Foster Parrots Exotic Wildlife Sanctuary in grand style at a private open house.

“We have always considered part of our effort to be a sanctuary for the unadoptables,” says Johnson, “but this facility is now one of only two or three in the country that is dedicated to a true sanctuary. We had always hoped to find someone who could donate the use of an adequate space for our efforts. This really was akin to hoping to win the lottery and as everybody knows, luck is when opportunity meets preparedness. We were lucky to have met Roy Dubs, founder of Ocean State Job Lot and to have the funding available to renovate the new building.”

So grand that legendary animal activist Dr. Jane Goodall, who is best known for her landmark study of chimpanzees in Tanzania in 1960, attended the event. Goodall, who established the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977, met with swarms of appreciative fans, eager to meet her and also welcome this substantial sanctuary to the area.

Dr. Goodall was joined in the ribbon cutting by Johnson, Windsor and Senator Robert Hedlund, who is regarded as a leader in legislation for animal welfare and protection. She has become a good friend of Johnson and Windsor’s, and her interest and empathy for the cause of birds actually predates her work with primates, unbeknownst to many.

Unassuming, brilliant and dignified, Goodall gave an eloquent opening speech at the doors of the facility, where 100s of birds screeched and chirped inside. She stressed, “So many people think that it’s cute to buy a parrot and take it into their home, but really, it’s so unsuitable,” saying that raising certain birds actually require as much attention as a human baby. She called for the further protection of birds and then toured the new facility, talking with people and signing autographs (a favorite is “Together we can change the world”).

Having some 50,000 square feet of buildings and 15 acres of land will afford Foster Parrots the ability to house many hundreds of birds. But the important part, says Johnson, is how they house the birds. With an average of between 20 and 30 requests a week for surrender, the space could easily fill. With the parrot issue being of little interest to established animal welfare groups, and the idea that avian rescue is regarded as “extremist,” there is little support for their efforts. “This leaves precious few to form the contribution base,” he says.

“The parrot problem,” he continues, “is growing and the support for animal causes is already confused by the overwhelming dog, cat and farm animal issues. The last thing anyone wants to hear is that there is another animal cause needing support.”

The birds that land at the sanctuary are either supported financially by the surrendering party or are considered to be better off in this community structure, therefore they are not up for adoption. All the birds will eventually live in larger community cages with small compatible groups. Not as ideal as living in the wild where they belong, but a kind solution to the situation.

“This will come as no surprise to anyone who knows us,” says Johnson, “but we do not think any animal belongs in a cage. If anyone were to apply the ‘accepted standard of care’ offered by the pet trade for parrots to any other animal, there would be a lot more people facing animal cruelty charges. Physically altering any animal to prevent them from normal movement to suit our convenience, keeping them confined to a small space for 22 hours a day and denying them the social interaction that they desire, is cruel.”  

How you can help:  Visit Foster Parrots to learn about the cause, as well as donate. Also, visit The Jane Goodall Institute and its many programs throughout the world

Jane Goodall and Charlene Arsenault