A couple on the city's south east side is using their years of experience in caring for parrots to launch a rescue out of their home.
Nancee and Ken Roberts have been around birds for much of the past 30 years. When you walk into their home, you are greeted by a room full of nothing but spacious bird cages and thick rope hanging from the ceiling.
The couple got their first parrot together, Charlie, back in 1998. Charlie is still kicking and now lives alongside several other larger birds. "A lot of people just don’t understand they are in for literally beyond their life," Nancee said when FOX 17 spoke to the couple on Wednesday.
The goal of Soft Landing is to take in birds that need a home, get them healthy and then find a new, loving home for them. People interested in adopting one of their parrots, can put in an application on their website.
“They have a human lifespan and a lot of people will get the babies, cute and cuddly. The babies mature and become hormonal. Sometimes they switch alliances and hate the owner or will get aggressive," Nancee said. Often times the birds' owners die, potentially leaving the birds to be cared for by someone who doesn't understand or want them.
The couple do extensive work to make sure the parrots go to well matched homes.
At the moment, they only have two parrots ready to be adopted. Sarah and Tippy are Mealy Amazon Parrots and over 40-years-old. They are bonded to each other, so they must go together to their new home.
About the pair, Nancee said, “The owner is elderly and unable to care for herself, let alone her birds, and that is a really hard situation because she still loves the birds desperately but she can’t take care of them.”
You can find out more about Soft Landing Parrot Rescue and the services they offer by visiting their website or Facebook page .
