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CHAMPION!
Aug. 4 -10, 2016 » Page 16A
For the love of birds
Local shelter overrun
with birds after raid
by Horace Holloman
horace@dekalbchamp.com
After the DeKalb County Police Department
(DCPD) found nearly 400 animals at a doctor’s
home in DeKalb County, DeKalb County Animal
Services was burdened with taking care of more
than 300 birds.
DCPD received a tip and subsequently raided
the home of Abhay Trivedi. At the home, officers
found eight dogs along with hundreds of birds.
Due to the pending investigation, the birds are
the responsibility of the DeKalb Animal Shelter.
Caring for hundreds of birds on a daily basis is
nothing to squawk at, according to Lifeline Animal
Project.
“It takes a lot of extra time. We’ve had to
coordinate donations because there’s several
hundred birds in our care,” said LifeLine Animal
Project spokesperson Karen Hirsch.
Since 2013, Lifeline Animal Project manages
the Fulton County Animal Services and DeKalb
County Animal Services shelters.
Hirsch said the influx of birds is the most she’s
The Lifeline Animal Project are responsible for the
caretaking of more than 300 birds. Lifeline officials have
received several donations throughout the county. Due
to a pending investigation., photos of the birds were
prohibited.
seen since Lifeline began managing DeKalb’s
animal shelter.
“Our volunteers have been taking care of them
and putting in many hours of work. We’ve recruited
volunteers who have expertise in birds,” Hirsch said.
During the first few days of caring for the
shelter’s feathered friends, Hirsch said volunteers
had to use “makeshift” bird cages such as crates.
The shelter also brought in bird expert Wendy
Wass for additional help.
Wass, CEO of Ziggy’s Haven—a Florida-based
bird sanctuary—has 18 years of experience in bird
rescue, rehabilitation and seizures.
Under Wass’ supervision, volunteer crews of at
least five people per day work eight-10 hour shifts
seven days a week.
“We wash 600 bowls every day, and sometimes
twice a day, which can be a full-time job in
itself. We have an amazing group of dedicated
volunteers,” Wass said.
The shelter also needs donations and materials,
Wass said.
Among the needs for the shelter are cages,
cockatiel food, lorikeet pellets, a refrigerator and a
portable dishwasher.
Wass said the birds eat up to 152 cups of food
per day plus weight booster formula.
Despite the workload of caring for 304 birds,
Wass said the experience of gaining the birds’ trust
is the most rewarding.
Wass said when the birds first came into the
shelter they were all scared of people because
of what they had been through, but now they are
coming out of their shells, putting their heads down
for scratches, and becoming communicative.
“The transformation has been phenomenal,”
Wass said. “Last night as [I] was walking out, one of
the birds said Are you coming back?’And [I] said,
‘Of course I’m coming back.’And then a bunch of
the birds began saying goodnight.”
Show me the money: Avondale Estates stipend ordinance approved
by Carla Parker
carla@dekalbchamp.com
After months of
discussion and debate, the
Avondale Estates Board of
Mayor and Commissioners
approved a stipend
ordinance with a 3-2 vote.
Commissioners
Randy Beebe and Terry
Giager voted against the
ordinance. According to
the ordinance, the mayor
would receive $600 per
month—$7,200 annually—
and the commissioners
would receive $400 per
month—$4,800 annually.
The ordinance will go in
effect Jan. 1,2018.
Many residents argued
that the board should not
vote themselves a raise,
and wanted the ordinance
to go into effect after
every board member’s
term expires. Beebe’s
and Giager’s terms expire
January 2018, while Mayor
Jonathan Elmore and
commissioners Brian
Fisher and Adela Yelton’s
terms expire December
2020.
At first, Beebe did not
have a problem with the
ordinance, but changed his
mind as more discussions
took place.
“I originally didn’t have
a problem with it, and then
I moved that it should be
done after all of us are
gone—we shouldn’t vote
ourselves a raise,” he
said. “But after the three
readings, I’ve leaned more
now toward Commissioner
Giager’s comments in that
we have so many volunteer
organizations and boards.
Very strong and very active
[volunteers] and they’re
not getting paid. And I’m
thinking maybe we don’t
need to get paid.
“I do understand that
we’ve looked at different
situations and different
cities around DeKalb
County that pay but I think
maybe we should dare to be
different,” Beebe added.
Avondale Estates has
one of few city mayor and
council boards that does
not receive monetary
compensation, according
to the Georgia Department
of Community Affairs.
Avondale Estates is the
only city in DeKalb County,
except newly established
Tucker, that does not pay its
mayor or commissioners.
Elmore has said in
previous discussions on
the matter that the stipends
will help cover city work-
related expenses, such as
city calls, and to help pay
for childcare while board
members are at meetings.
“For me it’s time away
from the family, it’s time on
the phone, it’s babysitters,”
Elmore said during a
work session. “It’s just to
help offset that without
submitting detailed expense
reports with calls listed,
which turns into a nightmare
for [city manager] Clai
[Brown] and his [staff]. So
it’s the easy way out, but
it’s the easy way out that
almost every city does.”
Yelton said in a
previous meeting that
the compensation would
help attract a diverse
group of people to run for
commission and mayor.
“We do want to attract
diverse candidates,” she
said. “It’s nice that folks that
are retirees have the time to
be able to contribute, but for
families with young children
there is childcare cost.
That’s something that we
need to consider for folks
that—for whatever reason—
if that small amount
is keeping them from
volunteering or becoming a
candidate for commissioner
we want to attract those
folks too.”
Notice of
Nondiscriminatory
Policy as to
Students
Still Waters Learning
Center admits students of
any race, color, national
and ethnic origin to all
the rights, privileges,
programs, and activities
generally accorded or
made available to
students at the school.
It does not discriminate
on the basis of race,
color, national and ethnic
origin in administration of
its educational policies,
admission policies,
scholarship and loan
programs, and athletic
and other school-
administered programs.
Pid yQU iKJrUtW?
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E-mail: beyondtnebell@comcast.net
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