Bird flu is a serious viral infection that has been much in the news lately. Experts say this disease primarily affects wild aquatic birds like ducks and geese, but it also impacts poultry, including backyard flocks of chickens. Birds in zoos can also be impacted...
This little guy is FACE grantee Junior! Junior needed emergency surgery after ingesting a foreign body. His family was unable to afford the full cost of his urgent treatment and applied for a FACE grant. We are happy to report that this beloved pet bird got his...
A recent study on captive parrots found that they suffer from a lack of mental stimulation more than other captive birds. Their high intelligence and natural food gathering behavior require a lot of human intervention to ensure that they do well as pets and in other...
The American Veterinary Medical Association has created a fact sheet for pet owners on the dangers of smoke from wildfires. Animals are as susceptible to poor air quality as people, especially if they suffer from respiratory or cardiovascular health problems. What are the signs of irritation from...
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has traced a recent Salmonella outbreak that has sickened almost 1,000 people around the US to recently acquired chicks and ducklings. Salmonella is a type of bacteria that causes the foodborne illness known as salmonellosis. It is commonly...
There’s lots of information about how to socialize dogs and cats out there, but what about small and exotic pets? They can learn polite behavior too! The San Diego Humane Society’s San Diego Pets Magazine recently shared some tips on how to socialize your rabbits, rodents,...
The Veterinary College at Texas A&M University has put out some very helpful tips on how to provide your pet birds with environmental enrichment and mental stimulation. They report that birds are happiest when given many different forms of enrichment. Not surprising given their intelligence, curiosity,...
Need a smile? Check out this sweet video of one very good dog named Gus. A wild bird got trapped in the sun porch at his house and started to panic. Gus quickly and gently took the bird in his mouth and placed it carefully on...
A study of former pet parrots living and breeding in the wild (called “naturalized” parrots) was recently published in the Journal of Ornithology. The findings show that our escaped pet birds are living, and in many cases thriving, in nearly all US states, including those with...
Back in January, the San Diego Humane Society took part in a large-scale rescue operation of 84 cockatiels from a one-bedroom apartment. The rescue made the news and many interested adopters began contacting San Diego Humane about the birds. The cockatiels spent several weeks at the...
Spring is just around the corner, and it’s never too early to start planning your garden, especially when you’re getting tired of winter! This spring, make sure your gardening and landscaping plans take your local animals, birds, and insects into account. How can you make your...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has released a report detailing the many dangers of second- and thirdhand smoke to our dogs, cats, and other pets. You may know that secondhand smoke is when someone other than the smoker inhales tobacco smoke. But did you...
The Humane Society of the United States has summarized some positive animal welfare news on its blog, A Humane Nation. Several U.S. states have passed some encouraging animal protection legislation this year…a bit of good news for all of the animals who live among us. Massachusetts:...
You’re going for a walk in the woods and you come across a nest of baby birds or baby squirrels that fell out of a tree. Or maybe you find that a fox or coyote has killed a rabbit and you discover her nest of...
Did you know that there are thousands of pet birds at shelters and rescue organizations just waiting for someone to come along and adopt them into their new forever homes? January is Adopt a Rescued Bird Month, designed to raise awareness about the need to...