Parrot Confidential

"Meet Lou. Abandoned in a foreclosed home, Lou is one of thousands of parrots in need of rescue. From the wilds of Costa Rica to suburban America, a lovable, quirky cast of parrots will reveal their unforgettable tales and the bittersweet world they share with humans. Their outrageous intelligence and uncanny ability to communicate in any language has made parrots one of the world’s most popular pets. But unlike dogs and cats, parrots have not been domesticated. With high decible squawks and complex behavior, they are hardwired for the wild. Add a lifespan of up to 70+ years with their intense need to bond, and a life in captivity doesn’t always have a happy ending. With shelters and sanctuaries struggling to meet the demand, too many birds like Lou have no place to go."



For more information on Parrot Confidential: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/parrot-confidential/parrot-confidential/8496/

Swan Dance

Dr. Malka is our Avian & Exotics Veterinarian and he sees all kinds of animals.  Hedgehogs, pigeons, snakes, rabbits, sugar gliders, turtles and even swans!  

The other day, George came to see him.  George is a swan from a nature conservancy and he wasn't really feeling too good so he traveled into the city with some human friends to visit and see why he was sick.  He was a very good patient and luckily, it was nothing major.  He got some medicine and went back home with a tale of a concrete jungle for his friends.  

That is George, front and center in the photo.  Those are all of his buddies welcoming him back.  The video is him and his girlfriend.  How crazy is this swan dance they are doing?!  What beautiful animals! 

Richard Phibbs

Hey everyone!  Thanks for tuning in this week for another Willis Wednesday!  This week, I want to introduce you to my friend, Richard Phibbs, or as I like to call him, Mr. Phibbstastic.

That's me and Mr. Phibbstastic!

Who is Richard Phibbs?  He's a world-famous photographer.  He takes gorgeous photos of gorgeous people all over the planet.  He also happens to be a huge animal lover and he wanted to do something for HSNY, so he came up with the idea to combine his two passions together.  This is a great example of a volunteer thinking outside of the box.  No matter who you are or what you do, if you want to help, you can.  

Once a season, on his rare day off at home, he and his team come to the Society and from sunrise to sunset, they turn an itty bitty doctors office into a studio and take stunning portraits of all of the adoption dogs (and sometimes cats, birds and rabbits too!).  The end result is really something spectacular and I can say that I have met several people that have directly linked their adoption to the fact that they saw Richard's photo of the pet they adopted.  

Here are just some of them...

This is how the magic happens.   

Paper Magazine just posted the most recent batch so check it out here: http://www.papermag.com/view/gallery/526990bdbeea7308e1000007#1

For more information on Richard Phibbs photography, please visit his website at http://www.richardphibbs.com/main.html.