Sandy Springs reporter. (Sandy Springs, GA) 2007-current, January 25, 2013, Image 20

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Sandy Springs reporter., January 25, 2013, Image 20

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Newspaper Page TextSafe and Effective Solutions to Provide Freedom for Your Pet, Peace of Mind for You We help pets and their owners live happy, harmonious lives together. With nearly 40 years of expertise, we understand your situation, your pets, and we have the safe solutions to solve even the most unique challenges. • Customizable solutions for your home and yard • Safe and gentle - any age, any breed • Most used and exclusively recommended by veterinarians • Maximum space, safety and freedom for your pets - ask about Boundary Plus 0 Up to $250 Off! Promo Code: PET REPORTER. Offer valid on professionally installed, premium outdoor containment packages and varies based on package selected. Must present coupon at time of purchase. Not combinable with other discounts or valid on previous purchases. Participating dealers only. Expires 3/31/2013 ©2012 Invisible Fence, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 415-1869 Call or log on to schedule a FREE in-home consultation! ■ v* Invisible m Fence Brand Invisible Fencing by Peachtree 770-924-8459 | 866-611-3647 peachtree.invisiblefence.com Sophie's Uptown people treats, animal love. NOW OFFERING GLUTEN FREE AS WELL AS HEALTHY SOUPS, SALADS AND CASSEROLES 25% OF ALL PROFITS BENEFIT ATLANTA ANIMAL CHARITIES 54 PHARR ROAD • BUCKHEAD Hours: M-F 10 am - 7 pm, Sat 10 am - 4 pm 404.812.0477 ■ sophiesuptown.com 20 | JAN. 25 —FEB. 7, 2013 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net PET REPORTER Parrots can be great pets, but make sure to read up first UK MELISSA WEINMAN melissaweinman@reporternewspapers.net PHOTOS BY MELISSA WEINMAN Above, Dunwoody resident Marie Frank with one of her cockatiels. Below, admiring a coffee mug. When you ring the doorbell at Ma rie Frank’s Dunwoody home, she bare ly cracks the door. “Come in quickly,” she says, open ing the door just enough for you to squeeze through. Once inside, the reason for her cau tion is clear. Frank has three pet cocka tiels that fly freely about her home. Dixie perches on the handle of her oven, singing to his reflection in the stainless steel appliance. Lucky hops over to the table where Frank is sitting, curiously inspecting her coffee mug. Frank said her birds are always en tertaining her. But she said most peo ple don’t know what they are getting into when they buy a parrot. “These are the best pets,” Frank said. “But if you don’t treat them well, they can be your worst nightmare.” Frank is passionate about teaching people about responsible bird owner ship. Frank said when she got her first gray and yellow cockatiel, Dixie, she assumed it would be happy living in its cage. “I had a 5-year-old son who wanted a parrot,” Frank said. “I think people think — like I did — that you can buy a big cage and look at him because he’s pretty.” But she soon learned that her bird needed to spend time outside of his cage, flying and interacting with her family. “Dixie is kind of the one who trained us on how he wanted to be treated,” Frank said. “To treat them properly, you have to give them little or no cage time.” Since getting her first cockatiel, Frank has rescued three more and has traveled to Arizona to volunteer with a bird res cue sanctuary. She said there are many things people don’t know about parrots — the family of exotic birds that includes macaws, cocka toos and Amazons. If birds are bored or unhappy in their cage, they can be very loud and destruc tive, she said. Some birds will even pick out their feathers and bite their skin with their beaks if they are confined to a cage. “People need to know they are social creatures, they do need stimulation, they do need interaction,” Frank said. Frank said many people give away their parrots, annoyed by the noise the birds make. There are only a few bird res cue groups around the country, and there often isn’t much space. “The rescues are bursting at the seams. They’re so overcrowded,” Frank said. One reason those rescues are so crowd ed: birds have incredibly long life spans. Smaller parrots like cockatiels can live up to 25 years. But some larger birds, like macaws and African Grey Parrots, have a life span of up to 100 years. Ron Johnson, owner of Feathered Friends Forever, cares for 1,400 birds at his rescue facility near Augusta. Fie said birds come to the rescue from around the country for a variety of rea sons. Some have owners who have died, or owners who have moved and can no longer keep them. Some people turn their birds in because they are simply tired of being bitten by the birds or hear ing them chirp. Johnson said the problem is that breeders continue to sell the birds for a large profit. “Breeders and pet stores don’t care what people buy so long as they collect their money,” Johnson said. Johnson said someone recent ly dropped off a bird that was only six months old. “A breeder convinced this lady that this was a quiet, lovable bird,” Johnson said. “She paid $900 for the bird, $300 for the cage, and had it 48 hours because she couldn’t stand the noise that it made.” Fie said it’s important to keep in mind that parrots are wild animals. They still have natural instincts that can make them unfriendly. “They’re in a sense “domesticated” in that they will take food from your hand and they will talk to you,” Johnson said. “When it’s breeding season, you have Dr. Jekyll.”