The Three Remaining Macaws are Finally Leaving the Car Washes
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM AnimalRightsCoalition.com
June 2020

Macaws live in their natural habitat for around 70 years, and they mate for life. Speedy died after living an abbreviated life, he was estimated to be 18-20 years old).

Speedy, now deceased, as held at the Bloomington Paradise Car Wash...

We are happy to report that the three remaining macaws imprisoned in a local car wash chain—Rainbow (Apple Valley), Coco (Woodbury), and Ruby (Savage)—will finally be leaving the car washes and placed into good homes.

They will no longer be pestered by adults and children, exposed to the stress of continual noise and a potentially unhealthy environment, and confined to one spot without enrichment (until recently). According to employees, pre-pandemic, the birds were kept in the car wash 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and had been for their entire lives.

Thankfully, another macaw, Peanut (Eagan), had been previously rescued. Before rescue, his feathers were in poor condition all over his body due to feather plucking, demonstrating his distress. A car wash employee had admitted to us that Peanut was stressed by customers' dogs and children harassing him. According to the employee, Peanut had issues with depression and was removed by a veterinarian for a period of time, but he continued to have behavioral and feather plucking issues until rescued.

Sadly, Speedy (Bloomington) died after living an abbreviated life (he was estimated to be 18-20 years old). Speedy was very vulnerable to the public because his perch was situated so close to the edge of his "cage." Customers' dogs had harassed him and he had become hysterical and fallen to the bottom of his cage. He had no protection from the public as he was located at least 30 feet from the counter where an employee could have supervised him. Macaws live in their natural habitat for around 70 years, and they mate for life. Speedy deserved a better life and the companionship of others of his species.

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