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| About CPR | |
Companion Parrots Re-homed is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Our Mission
The exclusive mission of Companion Parrots Re-homed is to accept companion parrots from unwanted, emergency or crisis situations throughout the Greater Charlotte, North Carolina, area and to facilitate through training and education, new adoptive homes for these sensitive and intelligent birds.
Meet the Birds
At our website
or
at Parrot University
321 S Polk St, Pineville
Visiting Hours:
Mon - Fri 10 AM - 7 PM
Saturday 10 AM - 6 PM
Sunday Noon - 5 PM Please consider a tax deductible donation. Your gift of any amount will directly help the birds.
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| FREE Classes at Parrot University |
Please RSVP
Call 704-889-2325 or email
Parrot 101 plus one additional class is required for adoption
Parrot 101
Sat, Dec 1, 2 pm
Avian Medicine
Sat, Nov 17, 2 pm
Sun, Dec 16, 2 pm
Positive Reinforcement
Wed, Nov 14, 6:30 pm
Sun, Dec 9, 2 pm
Check the 'Calendar of Events' at
Please Support Our Sponsor
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Recently Adopted |
These lucky birds of CPR have recently found new families. Join us in wishing the birds and their families wonderful new lives together!
Turlough, Meyer's Parrot
Jenny, Jenday Conure
Connect with us on Facebook! Our new families often post photos, videos and progress reports about their new family members.
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New to CPR |
Come meet the newest members of the CPR family at Parrot University.
Maddie, Yellow-nape Amazon
Bobby, Orange-winged Amazon
www.companionparrots.org |
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Joining Us Soon |
In Quarantine
Peepers, Quaker
Mija, White-bellied Caique
Waiting in the Wings
Sunshine, B&G Macaw
Gleeson, Jardine's
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LLA with Dr Friedman -- a huge success! | |
 | | Dr Susan Friedman |
by Karen Justice,
President & Founder
Our weekend seminar, Living and Learning with Animals, was a huge success and participant feedback has been fantastic. 65 attendees took advantage of the opportunity to immerse themselves in the science of Applied Behavior Analysis under the tutelage of Dr. Susan Friedman. I think this email sums it up: "I attend medical conferences on a regular basis and I have never been to any conference where the speaker was as informative, lively, entertaining and who held my attention all day (without napping). I already am looking at my dogs and my parrots in a different way and started to plan how things were going to change as we drove out of the parking lot. Thanks for making this seminar possible."
 | | LLA Attendees |
My heartfelt thanks to all attendees, CPR board and volunteers, and of course Dr. Friedman, for making this event possible. We look forward to bringing other prominent authorities of the companion parrot world to North Carolina to further our mission of providing the most current and accurate information to owners. With the correct information in hand we can all improve the lives of parrots and owners and reduce the need for our re-homing services.
In this issue
I hope you enjoy this issue of The Feathered Forum. In last month's issue we featured some of the Amazons in the program. This month the spotlight is on Cockatoos! Please read the stories of the CPR Featured Birds of the Month and then come visit them. These guys and girls deserve a chance. And please read the stories of the other Cockatoos at CPR on our website.
Happy Thanksgiving to all and thanks to each of you for your support. |
| Max: Featured Bird for November | |
 | | Max |
Meet Max
Species: Goffin's Cockatoo
Age: 19
It took Max a little while to settle in, but he's doing beautifully now. He needed to try several "pieces of real estate" before deciding that our library suited him best.
Max desperately wants a home with children to share his life. He loves to dance while saying "Up and down, up and down, good boy, good boy!".
In his previous home, Max enjoyed going in the shower and looks forward to having a shower buddy again. Please come meet him at Parrot University. |
| Emmy: Featured Bird for November | |
 | | Emmy |
Meet Emmy
Species: Umbrella Cockatoo
Age: 12
Emmy is a very sweet and gentle female Umbrella Cockatoo. She adores children and also shows a preference to adult men.
Emmy joined CPR due to excessive screaming, but we've been able to work with her to modify this behavior. We believe that her vocalizations can be managed in a new home. To adopt Emmy, 'Sex and the Single Bird' and 'Positive Reinforcement Training' classes will be required in addition to Parrot 101.
Emmy has been a great student and has been featured in several videos. Our trainer, Debbie, will work with you to arrange her new environment and teach family members how to interact with her in a positive manner to prevent her vocalizations from becoming a problem. Watch a video of Emmy and see more videos on our website. |
| Jasmine: Featured Bird for November | |
 | | Jasmine |
Meet Jasmine
Species: Moluccan Cockatoo
Age: 10
Jasmine is a beautiful, female Moluccan Cockatoo. She shows a preference for men. "Jazzy" would benefit from being in a home that could provide more foraging and intellectual opportunities than we currently have time to provide at CPR.
In order to adopt this sweet girl "Sex & the Single Bird" is a third required class. Preventing her from over-bonding to any one individual will be critical to her success. Come meet this special girl. Watch a video of Jasmine.
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| CPR 2013 Calendar | |
 | | 2013 Calendar Cover |
Every year, there seems to be a "must have" item for the holidays. Well this year, it's going to be the 2013 Companion Parrots Re-homed calendar! The theme is 'Ready for my Close-up" and you can see what that means when you see the details in the photos of these beautiful birds.
All proceeds from calendar sales support the birds in the CPR program, so please consider giving a unique gift and doing a good deed at the same time. And while you're shopping, make sure to get one for yourself and enjoy it all year.
Calendars are $15 each. Add $3 for shipping (mail only). Calendars can be purchased at Parrot University. Or to order, call 704-889-2325 or email info@companionparrots.org |
| Save the Date -- Holiday Open House | |
December 15, 11 am to 4 pm at Parrot University
 Mark your calendar for Parrot University's Holiday Open House, which will be held on Saturday, December 15 from 11 am to 4 pm. Stop by for a little holiday cheer with your favorite feathered friends.
And with our special Customer Appreciation sale, it will be the perfect time to shop for holiday gifts for the feathered member of your family or for your favorite CPR shelter bird.
It will be a fun day -- Debbie is busy training the crowd to sing a few carols! |
| Tip of the Month | |
We Can Always Learn More
In October, CPR board members Debbie Foster, Leslie Wieser and I attended a Wellness Retreat in Asheville sponsored by Phoenix Landing. We thought our heads would explode with so much wonderful information about anatomy, nutrition, intellectual stimulation, avian medicine -- and the list goes on! Our thanks to Ann Brooks and Phoenix Landing for holding such a beneficial event. We are implementing lots of what we learned and will be incorporating new material into our classes so you might want to "re-attend" some of them. It's very exciting to learn new things and then to apply the knowledge to improve the lives of our companion parrots.
So I hope you will please take advantage of any continuing education we offer and promote -- you can never know enough!
--Karen Justice |
| Help Needed | |
Cockatoo Behavior Assessment & Intervention
Would you like to be a Citizen Scientist? Debbie Foster, CPR trainer, is looking for volunteers to assess and record the problem behavior of one of our birds. Depending on the response we get, this experiment will last one to two weeks. We'd like to schedule people at different times during different days, for a minimum of one hour. Debbie will train you and if you're interested you can participate in the intervention stage also.
Please call 704-889-2325 to let us know what days and times you can be available. |
| Holiday Boarding | |
Are you planning to travel during the holidays? Boarding rooms at Parrot University are filling quickly, so please make your reservations as soon as possible to avoid finding "no room at the inn".
You'll enjoy your holiday more when you know that your bird is safe and comfortable and cared for by knowledgeable people that really care. Both private and communal boarding rooms are available.
Click for more information and rates. |
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Happy Endings - Zazu | | |
by Karen Justice
 | | Zazu "before" |
Zazu -- Our Little Green Chick
This is one of our happiest endings ever! Zazu joined CPR in February due to his family's financial difficulties. His mom was devastated but had no choice. A few months later, she contacted us because things had unexpectedly changed for the better. At that time there was a family who wanted to adopt Zazu but had not completed the process. Feeling that it wasn't meant to be, Mom decided to let him go. She continued to check the website and newsletter to see when he went to his new home.
When about three months had passed and he was still available, she contacted us again. The adoptive family had changed their mind. We agreed he should return to her -- if she took our advice.
Zazu was the poster parrot for the difficulties that develop when a bird over bonds. As you can see in the "before" photo, he was quite the feather abuser. Thankfully he "snipped" not plucked so the follicles weren't damaged. While Zazu was at CPR, we improved his diet, got him interested in play and did not allow too much physical contact.
 | | Zazu "after" |
When Mom saw him she was amazed and became eager to continue what we had begun. Within weeks of his returning home, you can see his progress in his "after" photo. Here is an update from the family:
"Hello Lea, Karen and all the people that work at Parrot U. Zazu is feathered and happy, with a tummy full of veggies, fruit, pasta and Harrisons bird food! We often go to the park across the street, where he is a show stopper and of course Zazu is sweet, docile and loves the attention.
As promised, I am not touching his body like I used to do -- just his head. I want to hug him and tickle under his wing but am fighting the urge! He's never looked so beautifully feathered. He goes to bed in his cage at 8:00 pm every night with a cover over it and I wake him with me singing to him.
There are not enough words to express how happy we are. God's hand was in this and I praise Him every day for you guys! I am praying that I can do more for your organization in the not so distant future. And of course, I will send you more pics of Zazu!
With the greatest respect,
Brianna Michaels and God's beautiful Zazu!! We love you soooooo much!!!! "
Congratulations to you both! |
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Training the 'Puppy Mill' Parrots | | |
by Debbie Foster
 | | Jack & Jill |
This summer, CPR worked with the Humane Society of Charlotte on the rescue of more than 150 dogs, seven parrots and a number of doves. There were two male Umbrella Cockatoos, a pair of Blue and Gold Macaws, one Jenday Conure, an Orange-winged Amazon and a Cockatiel. Here's an update on the birds.
According to our usual protocol, all of the birds were first given thorough physicals and quarantined off-site.
The two 'toos are in a foster home. The family has named them Bold and Bandy (because he had a band on his leg). Bold, as his name implies, is the more daring of the two, while Bandy is a more sedate bird who likes to observe what's going on.
The two Macaws have been identified as an older male and female pair, possibly in their 30's or even 40's. Karen has named them Jack and Jill. They are extremely bonded to one another and each puts a wing over the other one's back when they hang out on top of their cage. The female tells stories, or at least seems to, in macaw mumbles.
The orange-winged Amazon was named Donovan. We first thought he was an elderly bird, but good nutrition and frequent showers have him looking younger by the day.
The Jenday Conure (nicknamed Jenny, although Lea is sure that she hears her saying "Cricket" over and over) and the elderly Cockatiel were a bonded pair, but sadly, the Cockatiel passed away, leaving her little friend calling for her for two days. Since then, Jenny/Cricket has received a lot of attention and has blossomed. She was just adopted by a wonderful family and is now thriving in their household.
I am currently working with each of the Puppy Mill rescue birds who reside at Parrot University. I always work to establish my trust bank first. I've found foods that each bird will work for and have found them to be quick studies. The Macaws are a challenge to me because (so far) it's difficult if not impossible to work with one at a time. It's so rewarding to see these birds start to show their individual personalities and to learn that good behaviors bring reinforcement. Donovan, the Amazon, is just stealing my heart! Don't know what there is about his face, but it's incredibly appealing!
Although these birds endured horrible living conditions in their previous situation, I think it's important to remember that the animal's past doesn't mean their future can't be great. All of these birds are waiting for a wonderful home. Could one of them be yours?
Train Away!
Watch the video of Jack & Jill, the two Macaws and also watch the video of Donovan doing the turnaround.
Come meet these birds and join us for FREE Positive Reinforcement Training classes at Parrot University.
-- Wednesday, November 14, 6:30 pm
-- Sunday, December 9, 2 pm |
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Volunteer Corner | | | by Lynda Rettew
 | | Charlie, Amazon |
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Many thanks are due to lots of special people who helped make the Dr. Susan Friedman event a spectacular success.
First, to the entire CPR Board who worked so hard to coordinate all the details and especially to Karen Justice for having the vision and courage to believe we could pull this off!
Brad Link, thank you for lending all your professional sound equipment and coming to set it up for us. It was a fabulous gift.
To Max Justice, thank you for all the "stuff" you delivered, hauled and set up. You were a trooper, my friend.
To Stephen Platte, thank you for showing up and allowing us to use your young strength with the set up and clean up.
To Lindsay Boardman, for all the prep work and getting ready, thank you so much.
To Earl Harding, one of our best supporters in so many ways...for helping with cleaning up afterwards and for providing support at the Saturday evening event...we know what you did and are very grateful.
We also had support at other events this past month. Debbie Foster and Lindsay Boardman attended the Bank of America event at Founders' Hall and met with lots of new potential adopters and quarantine homes. Val Vajay, Stephen Platte and Taffi and Michael Graziadei represented us at 'Dogs Day Out' in Matthews and promoted our mission to new people.
Please contact me if you would like to help CPR in any way. Thanks so much.
Lynda Rettew, Volunteer Coordinator
volunteer@companionparrots.org |
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We'd love to hear from you. Please send your comments or suggestions to info@companionparrots.org. Thanks to all of you for your support.
The Birds of Companion Parrots Re-homed
Karen Cheek Justice, President & Founder
Board of Directors
Volunteers
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