30 exotic birds abandoned at already overcrowded Ann Arbor shelter
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - The bulk of 26 parakeets and 4 cockatiels were abandoned, left outside the Humane Society of Huron Valley in Ann Arbor.
"Monday morning, our staff came in, early in the morning, and they were there on our doorstep," said Wendy Welch, an employee at the animal shelter. "We are fortunate that the weather was OK, but there have been scenarios where people will leave animals in really bad weather too."
The parakeets were left in a cardboard box and the cockatiels were in a cage.
Welch said the shelter has already been dealing with overcrowding as is.
"We still have the care of over 500 animals, believe it or not," she told FOX 2.
Subsequently, the shelter received more deliveries – ducks and chickens! While some of these birds were in poor condition, having been rescued from abusive circumstances, others were simply left behind.
"It’s been a really birdie week," Welsh said. "We understand that there are lots of reasons why someone would need to surrender an animal, but we really encourage people to come to us when we are open."
The person who left the parakeets and cockatiels behind was caught on security cameras.
"We are not able to necessarily identify the person, so if anyone has any information, of course, we would love to know," Welsh said. "And we would love to talk to the person who did this."
All the exotic birds appear to be on the younger side, according to the shelter's veterinarians. They are also healthy and are now up for adoption – especially if you’re not up to the commitment of a dog or cat.
"You can train them to do different things – sit on your shoulder, do different tricks, say different things, make different sounds," Welsh said.
The Humane Society of Huron Valley is open seven days a week.
Humane Society of Huron Valley overcrowded with 513 animals, asking for help
The overcrowding is the worst one employee said she has seen in her 15 years at the shelter. Fortunately, they are in a position where they do not have to euthanize for space, but the Humane Society of Huron Valley is making an urgent plea for individuals to adopt or foster pets.