Pollyanna and Anna-Louise become Patrons of Parrotaid

Pollyanna and her daughter Anna-Louise are pleased to have accepted the roles of joint patrons of the organisation Parrotaid.

Parrotaid is a non profit making organisation set up 12 years ago by Candie Bradley to help injured neglected unwanted and abused parrots of all shapes and sizes - no parrot is ever turned away. The group’s main aims are to prevent parrots being taken out of the wild for the pet trade, and to rescue and, when ever possible, rehome neglected, sick and unwanted parrots.

Pollyanna is pictured (above left) with founder Candie Bradley, and the organisation’s mascot Gizmo - both are familiar faces to a lot of people in Derbyshire. Not only does Gizmo visit children in hospital and attend charity events but the pair also make a weekly visit to prisoners at Foston Hall. There, prisoners are taught to look after parrots in their sanctuary, founded by Candie. Last year Candie was nominated for a Community Champions Award in recognition of her work. Meanwhile Gizmo is something of a celebrity in his own right – he has appeared in many TV shows and films – including Pirates of the Caribbean – he has met the Queen and has even visited 10 Downing Street to mark World Parrot Day!

Anna-Louise commented “We are very pleased to offer our support to Parrotaid. Parrots are wonderful, intelligent creatures and can make excellent companions, but owning one is a huge responsibility. Unfortunately many people do not consider that Parrots have a life-span that nearly equals our own. Many species of the larger parrots may live to be 65 to 75 years old, so buying one can be a life-time commitment. Parrots also require a very high level of care and maintenance – and of course they are messy, dropping a high percentage of their food onto the floor, necessitating almost constant cleaning! Sadly this means that many people who purchase parrots on a whim then find themselves unable or unwilling to cope, which is when Parrotaid steps in to help.”

Candie and the Parrotaid team are hoping to bring a display stand to Pollyanna’s Summer Exhibition on the 17th June. If you have any questions about parrot ownership, or health or behavioural problems with your own parrot this will be an excellent opportunity to ask for advice and help, or just find out more about their work.