Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services Inc

MAARS' Mission is to care for birds, that due to mistreatment or reaction to captivity, are not suited to an in home or typical shelter environment. MAARS provides specialized therapeutic care for all the approximately 90 residents at "The Landing" utilizing the extensive experience and dedication that the Board of Directors, Advisory Board and volunteers have working with the exotic captive parrots of many species.

WHO WE ARE:  Based in the Minneapolis/St. Paul (Twin Cities) area of Minnesota, MAARS was founded in July 1999 to provide much needed services for captive parrots in the Midwest in cooperation with other organizations around the USA and worldwide.

WHAT WE DO:  MAARS is the oldest and largest organization in the Midwest providing education, consultation, sanctuary and placement services for captive parrots.  We are a publicly funded, 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization. Our first function is to provide the highest care to the flock at our sanctuary. Since we are not open to intakes, educating the public and people who already live with captive parrots about proper bird care is of the highest priority.

WHY WE DO IT: Many people don't find out in advance how much living with a bird will impact their lives before purchasing one.  The result is a large number of displaced and/or mistreated parrots that require specialized care.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? MAARS is operated entirely by volunteers and funded solely through donations. It costs at least four dollars per bird and takes over 16 person hours per day to care for the flock at MAARS.

Here's one of their stories:

Pidge (short for Little Pink Pigeon) pictured above, was part of an animal cruelty hoarding case and was seized with many other animals. The living situation was beyond deplorable. Pidge was found in a homemade enclosure made of chicken wire with what looked like HVAC ducting for a nest box. The workers were told she rarely left the box, and despite their coaxing, she refused to come out, so they took the entire box with them. They found she was living in years of detritus, and worse, rat urine and feces. Pidge is terrified of humans and her behavior makes it clear she has not been handled in a very long time. She has been vetted, found free of diseases and is now working on finding her place in the MAARS flock.