More than 350 birds seized from a Baltimore pet shop are now being housed by rescue groups around the region.
What happened?
WJZ reported that Baltimore animal control officers rescued hundreds of birds living in poor conditions from Loros Exoticos Baltimore after responding to a 311 complaint.
Officers found the birds living in dirty conditions and in need of urgent medical care, according to a Baltimore City Health Department spokeswoman.
Most of the birds — about 320 — were removed on July 22, while 47 had already been taken the previous Friday, WJZ reported. BARCS Animal Shelter initially received the birds, and by midweek, other rescue organizations around the area had taken over their care.
Though Knine Rescue usually focuses on dogs, the group agreed to help after BARCS asked for assistance, Amy Creel, president of Knine Rescue, said.
"They said we need to call in a favor," she told the publication. "We need all hands on deck."
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Why does it matter?
At Knine Rescue, some of the birds are already healthy enough for adoption, while others still need time to recover before they can move into permanent homes. Nearly 90 birds ended up with Knine Rescue, and all of them are now in foster homes.
Cases like this show how the work of animal rescuers, law enforcement, and medical professionals is important to investigate inhumane animal treatment, since ongoing animal abuse situations can lead to devastating consequences. Many of the birds already arrived in poor health, but some unfortunately died.
"We lost quite a few; they were just unhealthy to start with," Creel said.
What's being done?
The community quickly stepped up to help — donating cages, food, and other supplies. A retired veterinarian even volunteered to help with on-site health evaluations.
"There are some that have had to receive emergency veterinary care," Creel noted. "We are working with them to improve their health. The community really came together to bring us cages, food and other supplies."
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