Thirty parrots seized from Georgetown home; some up for adoption

Some of the birds have taken to plucking their feathers off in response to the stress, agency spokeswoman Elizabeth Butts said.Thirty exotic parrots — some Macaws, African Greys and Amazons — that were seized over the weekend from a Georgetown home now are in need of new homes and toys, a Kent County SPCA official said.

A concerned citizen alerted the shelter about the birds’ placement after their owner had fallen on hard times and could no longer care for the magnificent feathered creatures, said agency spokeswoman Elizabeth Butts.

They are now in need of new homes and toys, a Kent County SPCA official said“It’s not something we’re used to getting,” Butts said. “Thirty parrots is a surprising number of parrots to get. We’d like to get them adopted as soon as possible.”

The large birds were found living in small cages, sometimes two to a cage, which had them stressed out.

Thirty exotic parrots — some Macaws, African Greys and Amazons were seized over the weekend from a Georgetown homeSome of the birds have taken to plucking their feathers off in response to the stress, Butts said. Others have scissor beaks, which, when left untrimmed, can make it difficult for the birds to eat.

At this point, five of the birds are ready for adoption, but Butts suggested that only people who already are experienced with taking care of birds consider the long-term commitment.

“Adopting a large parrot is a lifelong commitment, as these birds will most likely outlive you because of their life expectancies of 80 years or longer,” Betts said.

SOme of the birds have scissor beaks, which, when left untrimmed, can make it difficult for the birds to eat.The shelter is taking its time processing the birds to ensure they are healthy. The birds require specialty feed and care, as well as toys to play with, so the Kent County SPCA is reaching out to the public for donations to help pay for the specific supplies.

Parrots require a lot of stimulation and require toys as a distraction, Butts said.

“They are very needy, and they’re not getting the constant interaction they need and are not in cages appropriate to their size,” she said. “We’re not equipped to handle them as long as it might take to get them adopted.”

It is suggested that if you are interested in adopting one of these parrots, that you come to the shelter to meet them in person or call ahead to find out more about them at 698-3006, and then push option 2.

Tax-deductible donations can be sent online through PayPal at www.kspca.org, or mailed to the Kent County SPCA at 32 Shelter Circle in Camden, DE 19934.