Anna Lawrence holds a bird named Mantra, one of six exotic birds that survived after being burned during a house fire in Calgary, Alta March 15, 2014. Lawrence was visiting at the surviving birds at the vet as shown here. The parrot rescue agency lost about two dozen exotic birds in the house fire which is still under investigation. Image by: Steve LawrenceDonations have begun rolling in to help a Calgary family and the charity they run after a devastating fire killed more than two dozen parrots.
Early Saturday afternoon, firefighters were called to the home of Anna and Steve Lawrence, who head up Birdline Parrot Rescue, a charity group that rehabilitates and helps find homes for parrots and provides educational tools for bird owners.
The Lawrence family had more than half of the parrots currently in Birdline’s care staying at their home — the rest at in foster homes, said Robin Horemans, a behaviourist with the charity.
It’s estimated more than two dozen exotic birds perished in the fire while six survived and were taken to the vet.
The Lawrences’ sons, who were in the home at the time, managed to get out safely, though one was treated for smoke inhalation by EMS and later taken to hospital after trying to put out the fire, said Horemans.
He has since been discharged from hospital.
On Sunday, two of the six birds that survived the blaze remained at the vet and were being kept in an oxygen chamber, said Horemans.
Mantra, an Eleanora Cockatoo, had shown improvement by Sunday afternoon.
However Lope, a 68-year-old Red Lored Amazon, was still “hour-by-hour,” she said.
“This is a tragedy beyond words,” said Horemans of the loss of the birds and the challenges faced by everyone involved.
“It is absolutely heartbreaking.”
A donation page has now been set up at youcaring.com/birdline to help the Lawrence family.
Horemans said Birdline is also has an option to donate on its website at birdline.ca/donate