PETA Calls Foul on Bid for Permission to Keep 75 Large Exotic Birds Caged 24/7 in Windowless Metal Shed in Residential Area
For Immediate Release:
June 6, 2011
Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382
Spring Hill, Fla. — In advance of Pasco County resident Connie J. Kloss' upcoming June 8 petition to the Planning Commissioners—in which she will seek a special exception to the county code in order to continue keeping and breeding 75 large exotic birds in a residentially zoned area—PETA has sent an urgent letter to the members of the board urging them to deny Kloss' request. In the letter, PETA points out that the birds are currently kept 24/7 in a dark, windowless metal shed with no air conditioning, which could result in heatstroke and death for the birds as summer temperatures rise. The group also notes that the noise created by 75 screaming birds (parrots scream out of desperation when denied flight, the companionship of flockmates, and their basic behavioral needs) has already resulted in complaints from Kloss' neighbors.
"Connie Kloss' windowless breeding warehouse is a prison and a death trap for these magnificent birds," says PETA Vice President Daphna Nachminovitch. "We urge Pasco County officials to spare these complex, intelligent animals from suffering more misery in what is essentially a breeding mill, especially as avian welfare groups struggle to deal with a massive bird homelessness crisis."
Ideal temperatures for parrots range between 65 and 80 degrees. Temperatures in Spring Hill have already begun to reach the mid-90s and will rise even higher inside the metal shed. Because parrots cannot perspire to control their body temperature, they are quick to suffer heat stress and can die within minutes. Exotic birds are intelligent flock animals who require specialized care and diets, psychological stimulation, exercise (flight), and the companionship of other birds. They can live up to 70 years. Because Kloss' birds are denied light, fresh air, and the opportunity to fly and socialize with a flock, they are likely to express stress by screaming at ear-deafening decibels. In fact, when an officer from Pasco County's Animal Services Division inspected Kloss' shed in May, the officer noted that, upon entering the shed, "the level of noise went up to the point of having to leave the area due to the noise."
For more information, please visit PETA.org.