GameFowl News Staff Writer

This particular contest was sponsored by the Home Equity division of Chase Home Finance, the home finance business holding of J.P. Morgan Chase. & Co. The contest focused on progressive and innovative techniques that animal welfare organizations are using to protect our nation¹s pets against animal cruelty and neglect. Well, if Tammy Grimes’ actions are a sample of this, God help us all.

Tammy Grimes of Dogs Deserve Better has just been nominated as one of the top ten finalists for the Animal Planet “Hero of the Year” award. I don’t know why I should be surprised that the AR movement would create a role model for future AR wannabes from a trespasser, thief and liar.

Disrespect people’s property and privacy – here’s an award and some cash for your efforts. Take an old dog from its worried owners – here’s another award. And if she wins this one, she’ll also receive $10,000.

GameFowl News Staff Writer

Several years ago, the Avian Welfare Coalition, an animal rights group began a campaign to discredit several large aviaries in the northwestern part of the nation. They stirred up public opinion by liberally using the term “birdie mills.” Emotions ran high while their E-mail lists were buzzing with rumors, slander and libel. Doctored photos regarding these commercial aviaries were posted. Plans were made to shut down the aviaries and take the birds for themselves.

The main instigators who targeted this aviary were looking forward to reaping the spoils of the raid, i.e. parrots. The bird rescue involved with this case has less than a sterling reputation in that area of the country. While spouting the AR anti-breeding rhetoric, they have been caught with breeding nest box setups themselves. It is ironic that these AR types accuse others of what they really want to do themselves – which is to make money from using animals. Whether it is money for adoption fees or money from public donations, they profit without the hard work that goes into a legitimate business venture.

A freelance writer by the name of Mira Tweti began to write about the Pierce County controversy. Larry Gallawa was able to gavage feed Tweti buckets full of his unwholesome slop. She regurgitated it verbatim and the general public, hungry for scandal, ate it up without question.

Tweti entitled one of her articles, Parrots in Peril. The only thing we or our birds and parrots are in peril of are over zealous people who would love to “rescue” our birds and keep them for their own. We have to stop these bird rustlers who hide beneath so-called “angel” feathers. Who is Mira Tweti? Why does the News Tribune serve as her sounding board but refuses to publish our articles and commentaries? What are Tweti’s credentials? Does she own an aviary? No. Is she a bird expert? No. However, that doesn’t stop Tweti from announcing that she is writing a book about aviculture, and you can be sure it is a self serving effort.

The AR press is alive and well. Reporters are spoon fed press releases that save them time and effort while helping the publisher to sell more papers. Few reporters bother to investigate the other side of the story, let alone print it.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) does not own or operate any shelters. They simply take in donations from the gullible public that fall for their propaganda. “Help us save abused animals”, “help us end cruelty to animals” are two of their most effective mantras. The HSUS has developed a network of humane societies and shelters across the nation. Each state chapter has board members from several of your state’s rescues, shelters, sanctuaries or humane societies. The member organizations are provided with HSUS literature and training as well as how to lobby for increasingly restrictive legislation.

As a result, many cities contract with HSUS federated humane to perform licensing, sheltering and animal control duties. The Humane Society of Tacoma & Pierce County is a member of the HSUS Federation of state humane societies. In fact the HSTPC and the Washington branch of HSUS State Federated humane societies share some officers and board members. While the state chapter office has a relatively small budget, the HSTPC maintains multi- million dollar net assets.

The president of the Washington chapter of the HSUS federation is also the executive director for the HSTPC. He makes a yearly salary in the upper five figures and it may well be over $100,000 by now. In 2004 they spent $34,090 on supplies, $29,331 on telephone bills, $34,766 for postage and shipping, $55,593 for printing and publications, $53,184 for equipment and maintenance, $31, 657 for conferences conventions and meetings and made $97,934 off of investment interests.

Legislative representation is based on taxation; therefore, the needs of commercial enterprises and professional aviculturists should take precedence over non-profit organizations. However, the non- profits have spun Lady Liberty around so that she now faces backwards. Our founding fathers are surely rolling in their graves.

When local animal control officers declare an aviary, a kennel, a cattery or any other animal enterprise as substandard, then the AR crowd is in a position to take those animals from their rightful owners and profit from them. Make no mistake, they do profit from them through adoption fees which are often more than an honest breeder makes from a sale. To add insult to injury, they demonize the victims whose animals they stole.

The non-profits get the animals for free. They manipulate the facts to make them look like the good guys, especially where animal breeders are concerned. Animals that do not fetch a good adoption fee, or take too much time, effort and resources or animals that do not have some kind of monetary value are euthanized.

Administrators of non-profit rescues, sanctuaries and shelters have been known to use their tax free monies to purchase land and houses for themselves, pay for their personal expenses. Some have even spent money, meant for the care and upkeep of animals, for vacations so they will not get “burned out” from the hard, day-to-day work necessary to maintain an aviary or kennel.

Rescues and shelters sometimes take in so many animals and birds, they cannot properly care for them. Often these warehoused (hoarded?) birds and animals are farmed out to other rescues and shelters. These shelters are not immune to disease outbreaks either. (Rescue mills?) Have you ever seen birds on TV, pacing back and forth in their cages, moving their heads from side to side? The narrator tells us these birds have “gone crazy.” The general audience will incorrectly infer that this condition is caused by breeders and pet owners. What the narrator fails to mention is that these birds that are locked away in sanctuaries and rescue shelters. They are not allowed to be with a companion bird or a mate for fear they will breed. They are not adopted out or placed in a commercial breeding situation. (animal cruelty?)

Commercial breeder must work diligently to make an honest dollar from their business or hobby. Any profits they make are taxed and reinvested into their establishment. This includes rent or mortgage payments, utilities, food and medication, environmental enrichment, time and devotion. Tweti, and those who read her drivel, should spend a few days tending to the day-to-day routine maintenance of an aviary or breeding facility. They would have an entirely new perspective about what they so easily criticize.

The “rescuers” have even gone so far to line up at one commercial aviary – cages and carriers in hand -- hoping to carry away that person’s private property for free. The entire controversy has raged on simply because one man chose to create a problem where none existed. Why?

Gallawa has never owned or operated an aviary. He takes care of his daughter’s two pet birds and I am told these birds barely tolerate his presence. He is certainly no bird expert. He has told people that he takes them everywhere with him, even to pick up his dry cleaning. A conscientious parrot owner would never take their bird to a place filled with noxious fumes. He acts as if he is a bird expert but is not. He will do anything to ruin the reputations of aviculturists, including reporting serious diseases where none exist. Why hasn’t he been brought to justice?

What’s in it for this man? Attention? Tax free, unaccountable donations? You betcha’. Gallawa claims his only concern is for the welfare of the birds in the Scudder aviary. (One of the original targets of his vitriol has passed away and the other has moved.) These Scudder’s birds were well cared for many years before he started his unfounded vendetta. He has managed to stir up public opinion in support of his lies while he encourages a herd of mindless sheep to hound and harass innocent citizens.

Gallawa is capable of anything and will do whatever he can to obtain free birds for his cronies. What do aviculturists have to do to be heard? Where is justice? She has been toppled and is lying broken and scattered in the dust.

When they came for the cat breeders, You remained silent You were not a cat breeder.

When they came for the aviculturists You remained silent; You were not an aviculturist.

When they came for your animals, There was no one left to speak out.