It’s a heartbreaking story.

Thirty-one macaws seized by animal
control officials from an Orange County couple in May are back in the hands of their owners and on their way to a Florida facility.

Andrew Neilson fostered “Cookie” in the time between her seizure and return. 

‘Violating her trust’Like a boy with his dog, Andrew Neilson and Cookie the macaw have a bond that even a novice can notice. That bond was officially broken Friday when Cookie, and 30 other macaws temporarily housed at the Central Virginia Parrot Sanctuary, were inspected, documented and returned to their original owners.

NASONS — Thirty-one macaws seized by animal control officials from an Orange County couple in May are back in the hands of their owners and on their way to a Florida facility.

Thirty-one macaws seized by animal control officials from an Orange County couple in May will be transferred to a facility in Florida and returned to the couple in 18 months, providing they pay nearly $20,000 in medical bills owed to local veterinarians.

Virginia saw not just one, but two major news stories last year involving cruelty or neglect of dogs.
But birds?
Birds suffer from neglect and cruelty as well — proportionally perhaps even more often than do dogs.
Almost everyone remembers Michael Vick dogfighting trial last year. Then there came the raid on the puppy mill near Hillsville, where nearly 1,000 dogs and puppies were seized.
Less well known to most of us is the plight of neglected birds.

Thirty-one hook-billed, brightly feathered macaws make a big noise in the blue house as a plethora of parrots parrot the calls from the aviary that looks suspiciously like a converted garage.