The Gabriel Foundation

Background Statement

The Gabriel Foundation is a 100% donor-funded parrot welfare organization that has been providing for the complete physical, psychological and environmental well being of the parrots in our care since 1995. Through the education of the public, proper legal documentation, extensive support services, and constant follow-up procedures, we ensure that whether the parrots remain in a sanctuary, in rehabilitation, or are placed into adoptive homes, and that the parrots receive the care so deserved and needed for their lifetimes. The Gabriel Foundation provides for the general welfare of parrots in the pet, avicultural, sheltering, retail and veterinary community by providing accurate, comprehensive and reliable, scientifically based educational materials and resources to the public at large.

With the proliferation of psittacine birds into the pet marketplace, the issue of unwanted birds is rapidly growing. This is no longer one person's problem or even one industry's problem. It speaks to the entire issue of being responsible for anyone and anything in your life for which you have chosen stewardship. All living creatures deserve respect, kindness and the right to have their basic, intrinsic needs met.

Societies value birds for economic, cultural, ethical and spiritual reasons. The avicultural and pet industries must increase their efforts to heighten public consciousness that animals are not creatures put on this earth for man to dominate, or "own," but rather they are "other nations" with which to co-exist. The disposable mentality or throwaway cultural attitude prevalent in our society does not speak well for the lives of animals often viewed as commodities and impacted greatly by these trends. Birds cannot fend for themselves when we fail them. TGF receives inquiries daily from around the country that people must "get rid of their birds". The hundreds of inquiries receive annually regarding our programs demonstrate that there is an overwhelming need to provide continuing education and information to the public, the veterinary community and the avicultural industry about the physical, psychological, social, environmental, medical and nutritional needs necessary to provide for the total well being of these highly intelligent, long-lived creatures.

The challenge for those who protect, care for, love and respect all animals and birds, is to develop innovative strategies to move the public's compassion for animals into action. Only a few states require minimum standards of care for parrots. Few states have any parrot shelter licensing requirements. Too few facilities, rescuers and mom & pop parrot rescues are able to provide minimum standards of care for the birds dependent entirely upon them. The Gabriel Foundation takes every opportunity to network with animal welfare community to develop minimum standards of care for parrots. One goal is to promote awareness about the needs of parrots in captivity, wherever they are, guidelines, standards and accountability.

The Gabriel Foundation's Aviary and Adoption Center provides consistent, cutting edge care for 230 +/- psittacine birds housed under our wing at any one time. Birds come to TGF for a variety of reasons: family and/or financial hardship, owner incapacitation or death, family conflict, lack of interest, time, or moving/relocation. Most often it is a bird's incompatability with the human's unrealistic expectations of how the animal actually behaves. Birds lose home for reasons such as bird's physical handicap, chronic illness, age or medical needs and the cost of veterinary care. Situations involving animal cruelty, neglect, abuse and abandonment have increased nationally.

Our team of avian veterinary partners evaluate the acute, chronic and long-term medical needs of all incoming and outgoing birds. Our entire team of attending and affiliated avian veterinarians, certified veterinary technicians, staff members and volunteers provide for the total health care, as well as psychological and environmental needs, of the birds in our care. Our staff-to-bird ratio is crucial to the rehabilitation process of our psittacine residents, where the needs of the individual bird ALWAYS come first. With the in-depth quality of care provided by TGF, new adoptive individuals and families provide homes for our flock. The Gabriel Foundation's highly structured adoption and screening process is dedicated to the success of the human/bird relationship. For birds that remain with us for the remainder of their lives, permanent sanctuary is a safe, social and enriched habitat dedicated to each resident's well-being.