The Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, Incorporated
Our Mission
Our mission is simple: to work in joint cooperation with all avian rescue groups to eliminate the need for rescue groups by educating the public about avicultural issues. Until we accomplish that, we will provide a sanctuary for those unfortunate parrots that need a home.
About Us
A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, Inc.’s goals are: put all rescues such as ourselves, out of the rescue business.
Until then, we will:
1. Provide temporary housing and care for any and all Psittacine birds (not including those with fatal and/or contagious diseases),
2. Educate the consumer public about the proper care of exotic birds,
3. For those birds that are eligible for adoption, locate a healthy, happy and nurturing home and,
4. Investigate cases of abuse, neglect and maltreatment of exotic birds and remove them from said owner.
A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, Inc. came into existence when the founder/director, Richard Weiner, who realized that there were many more of these highly intelligent birds than lifelong, loving homes. Rich, like many aviculturists, began his journey as a parrot companion with an African Grey, Prince and later welcomed Ninja, an Umbrella Cockatoo. Before long, Rich began taking in “secondhand birds” from friends, business associates and from local veterinarians.
A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, Inc. houses many types of Psittacine (parrot-type birds). The number of birds went from 2 parrots eighteen years ago, to 16 as of our incorporation date. Since then, all those 16 birds have found loving homes and have adapted well to their new environments. Others have taken their places. Across our primary facility and three foster homes, we now serve approximately 50-70 birds at any time and there is a constant in-flow of new residents.
A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, Inc. is a rescue, retirement, and adoption facility for exotic birds. We offer birds a stable and loving home for the duration of their natural lives. We do not sell or breed birds. Some birds at the Refuge have “special needs,” including a range of physical handicaps or other challenges requiring unique living or feeding arrangements. Since birds are very long-lived, they face many age-related health issues, not unlike humans. As such, they need medications, sometimes a lot of them. Other birds have experienced being bounced from home to home, where they often faced physical and/or emotional abuse, causing them to become too fearful of people to be “pets” any longer. We now have nineteen permanent residents and two Screech Owls.
A few of the birds we see, despite our best efforts to help them reconnect, remain extremely fearful of humans and temperamentally unsuited for companionship with people. We search for other suitable alternatives for the birds who would simply be happiest in the exclusive company of their own kind.
Of course, along with birds with a variety of challenges, A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, Inc. also is home to several perfectly “normal”, healthy and contented birds whose owners brought them here when life changes prevented the continuation of their caring for their beloved pets. These owners believe that the stability and ongoing responsible care provided by our facility, along with the companionship of both people and other birds, is preferable to the possibility of their former companions being shuffled from home to home with no guarantees of responsible care or proper conditions.
In 2009, Karen, who initially reached out to adopt a bird, became an adoptive home of one of the Refuge’s birds, Sambird. Since then, she adopted several more birds and eventually started fundraising for the Refuge. She soon became a volunteer, helping with the daily care of all the birds. Karen moved up to be the Director of Adoptions, followed by the Director of Volunteers. She and I wed, and she became a co-director of the bird refuge, leading efforts to improve the birds’ care.
A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, Inc. currently, 2024, has a monthly overhead of between $3600.00 and $4500.00 (averaged over the year). This includes food, housing, medical care, and toys. There are NO paid staff members. While Rich and Karen are both the principal caregivers and co-directors of the organization, A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, Inc. has developed a small cadre of volunteers to aid in the daily care of these birds and research, fundraising and long-term planning for the organization.
Until then, we will:
1. Provide temporary housing and care for any and all Psittacine birds (not including those with fatal and/or contagious diseases),
2. Educate the consumer public about the proper care of exotic birds,
3. For those birds that are eligible for adoption, locate a healthy, happy and nurturing home and,
4. Investigate cases of abuse, neglect and maltreatment of exotic birds and remove them from said owner.
A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, Inc. came into existence when the founder/director, Richard Weiner, who realized that there were many more of these highly intelligent birds than lifelong, loving homes. Rich, like many aviculturists, began his journey as a parrot companion with an African Grey, Prince and later welcomed Ninja, an Umbrella Cockatoo. Before long, Rich began taking in “secondhand birds” from friends, business associates and from local veterinarians.
A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, Inc. houses many types of Psittacine (parrot-type birds). The number of birds went from 2 parrots eighteen years ago, to 16 as of our incorporation date. Since then, all those 16 birds have found loving homes and have adapted well to their new environments. Others have taken their places. Across our primary facility and three foster homes, we now serve approximately 50-70 birds at any time and there is a constant in-flow of new residents.
A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, Inc. is a rescue, retirement, and adoption facility for exotic birds. We offer birds a stable and loving home for the duration of their natural lives. We do not sell or breed birds. Some birds at the Refuge have “special needs,” including a range of physical handicaps or other challenges requiring unique living or feeding arrangements. Since birds are very long-lived, they face many age-related health issues, not unlike humans. As such, they need medications, sometimes a lot of them. Other birds have experienced being bounced from home to home, where they often faced physical and/or emotional abuse, causing them to become too fearful of people to be “pets” any longer. We now have nineteen permanent residents and two Screech Owls.
A few of the birds we see, despite our best efforts to help them reconnect, remain extremely fearful of humans and temperamentally unsuited for companionship with people. We search for other suitable alternatives for the birds who would simply be happiest in the exclusive company of their own kind.
Of course, along with birds with a variety of challenges, A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, Inc. also is home to several perfectly “normal”, healthy and contented birds whose owners brought them here when life changes prevented the continuation of their caring for their beloved pets. These owners believe that the stability and ongoing responsible care provided by our facility, along with the companionship of both people and other birds, is preferable to the possibility of their former companions being shuffled from home to home with no guarantees of responsible care or proper conditions.
In 2009, Karen, who initially reached out to adopt a bird, became an adoptive home of one of the Refuge’s birds, Sambird. Since then, she adopted several more birds and eventually started fundraising for the Refuge. She soon became a volunteer, helping with the daily care of all the birds. Karen moved up to be the Director of Adoptions, followed by the Director of Volunteers. She and I wed, and she became a co-director of the bird refuge, leading efforts to improve the birds’ care.
A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, Inc. currently, 2024, has a monthly overhead of between $3600.00 and $4500.00 (averaged over the year). This includes food, housing, medical care, and toys. There are NO paid staff members. While Rich and Karen are both the principal caregivers and co-directors of the organization, A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, Inc. has developed a small cadre of volunteers to aid in the daily care of these birds and research, fundraising and long-term planning for the organization.
The mission of ReelTime Animal Rescue is to promote animal wellness, provide education, and establish a funding channel for caregivers and organizations on the front lines of animal cruelty, wildlife rehabilitation and placement. The Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, Incorporated receives 100% of the funds you donate to our organization via our direct donation link here:
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