These owners believe that the stability of perpetual care at our facility, with companionship of both people and other birds, was preferable to the possibility of being bounced from home to home over the long lifetime of the bird. This includes food, housing, medical care, and toys. There are NO paid staff members. While Mr. Weiner is both the principal caregiver and executive director of the organization , a Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, Inc. will be developing a small cadre of volunteers to aid in the daily care of these birds as well as research, fundraising, and long term planning for the organization. The balanced diet provided for the birds includes pelleted bird food, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables in season, frozen mixed vegetables, beans, pastas, and sprouts.
Veterinary care is ongoing.
One of our Board members, Dr. Peter Sakas, is our Veterinary Consultant as well as providing needed care. Within the past decade or two, Aviculture has gone from a small exotic hobby, to a vast multi-million dollar industry. By 1996, the number of birds had grown to 40 million while the number of homes remained fairly consistent at 5.9 million. At the current rate of growth, it is anticipated that by the year 2000 there will be 60 million birds in 6.13 million homes. Breeders are creating birds faster than the developing market can sustain the birds.