By Dominic Abassi

Focus turns to adoption now that Coombs Parrot Refuge has been cleared out

Jul 28, 2016 | 3:12 PM

NANAIMO — The seemingly impossible task of relocating more than 600 birds has been completed by a Delta-based non-profit.

Jan Robson with Greyhaven Exotic Bird Sanctuary says the last of the birds from the World Parrot Refuge in Coombs were cleared out of the facility earlier this week, ahead of the August 1 deadline.

The focus now turns to finding permanent homes for the roughly 400 birds that Greyhaven still has on their hands.

Robson says about 70 or 80 of the parrots are currently being housed at the old SPCA building on Labieux Road in Nanaimo.

“We’re really hopeful that that will be command central for the next few months. We have the facility until December 1, so we’re hoping it will be command central for adoptions on the island,” said Robson.

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The balance of the birds have been taken to two facilities on the Lower Mainland.

So far about 30 birds have been reunited with their owners and they had their first formal adoption earlier this week.

“The budgies were all adopted out to one woman who was able to take them all, that was wonderful.”

Three volunteers will now focus on lining up adoptions on the island, says Robson.

“They have already started getting adoption applications specific to their area, so they will start to see if there are matches, people with the interest and the skills to look after these birds.”

The fact that Greyhaven, a small society with a board of five or six members and a core of about 20 volunteers, was able to move more than 600 birds into safe locations in just six weeks is “monumental” according to Robson.

“This is truly the largest parrot rescue/relocation in Canadian history, probably ever, anywhere. I would also suspect the largest animal rescue anywhere. The numbers are just ridiculously huge.”

Robson says the next step is to get serious about all of the adoption applications they have received.

“To start contacting people and doing home visits and finding appropriate homes. We started pre-screening a little while back.” She says they have received literally thousands of emails.

Robson says realistically they are going to have a chunk of birds that are going to be extremely difficult to find homes for, but they are hopeful, just like they’ve been throughout this difficult process.

“If that’s not the case, we will have to look at other plans, I’m not sure what it will be at that point. That plan will not be euthanasia.”

She says they are also in need of financial support, noting their non-profit, as well as the Night Owl Bird Hospital in Vancouver, has covered well over $100,000 in costs so far.

To find out how to donate or adopt a bird, check out their Facebook page.