Become a Mickaboo Angel!

"Give of yourself as the Angels do and wonderful things will come to you." - Ramadan

Update, January 1, 2009: Thanks to increased donations in response to our calls for help, our financial status has become more sustainable. We are still in need of donations in this declining economy, and our vet bills have not decreased. However we are lifting the total ban on intake of birds while we revise our intake policies.

Mickaboo currently has approximately 300 birds in foster care. Our first commitment is to these birds and their ongoing care. For this reason, we need to use our regular donations to maintain a cash reserve for them. Thanks to Mickaboo's generous supporters, the Angel program has been a huge success. Our Angels have enabled us to take in over 100 birds since May 1, 2008. These are birds we would not have been able to help without your generous donations.

Why Become an Angel to a Mickaboo Bird?
Unfortunately, many of the birds that come into Mickaboo's care have been injured, abused, neglected or are very ill. As a result, they need medical attention, behavioral training and extra love and nurturing before we can place them in adoptive homes. These birds are often times considered unadoptable at shelters and by society in general. We believe that every bird deserves a second chance. We allow each and every one of our birds as much time as they need to find that special adopter who is willing to care for them. As Mickaboo has grown, and we have taken in more birds, our monthly vet bills have increased significantly, averaging between $8,000 and $10,000 per month.

We understand that not everyone can foster or adopt a Mickaboo bird, but would still like to help. Becoming an Angel to a bird in need is the perfect way to do that! You can help us take in birds from shelters or from private surrenderers who are in a financial crisis. Your donations to Mickaboo can be directed to care for a particular bird or birds, to help defray the cost of their sometimes astronomical vet bills while they wait for forever homes.

Angel Species
When you become a Mickaboo Angel, you are helping us fulfill our commitment to keeping our doors open to ill, injured, abused, neglected and unwanted companion birds in Northern California and beyond. We invite you to become the species of Mickaboo Angel that suits you best!

Angel: Our goal is to have an "endowment" of at least $200 before taking in a new bird. This will help us ensure that we always have sufficient funds to provide basic medical care for the birds already in our care, as well as for new birds we take in. As an Angel, you will receive recognition on our website, an email picture of your Angel bird, and regular email updates on his/her progress. If a bird is adopted without using your Angel money for vet bills, we will shift the money to the next needy bird and let you know which additional bird you have helped us bring in.

Guardian Angel: Your donation in any amount will be used to provide ongoing medical care for a specific bird that you designate. As a Guardian Angel, you will receive recognition on our website, an email picture of your Angel bird and regular email updates on his/her progress.

Archangel: Archangels commit to covering the full vet costs required for a new bird to be healthy enough to adopt. As an Archangel, you will receive recognition on our website, a 5 x 7 photo of your Angel bird, and regular email updates on his/her progress.

Please email angels@mickaboo.org and tell us what species of Angel you are, which bird you would like to support, and how you would like to be acknowledged on the website: full name, first name only, first name and last initial. If you do not want to specify a particular bird to support, you can also request that your donation be used for the bird most in need--we'll let you know which bird we chose.

Every Bird Gets An Equal Chance

That's the underlying principle of Mickaboo. Once a bird is in our care, we provide all the medical care s/he requires. We do not "triage" birds or spend more money on large species than small. We only euthanize a bird when s/he is suffering without the possibility of recovery. We provide hospice care for terminally ill birds who are not suffering. Since we do not have paid employees, you can be sure that your donation goes directly to the birds. Donations are 100% tax deductible. A receipt will be mailed to all donors.

Birds Waiting to be Matched with an Angel

Date	Species	Name of Bird	Current Situation
6/9/09	Budgie	Jamie	Jamie was taken to one of our avian vets because she was thought to have a prolapse due to egg laying. She is now in a foster home and is still under the care of an avian vet. Jamie is on meds and will return to her vet for a follow up.
4/17/09	Parakeet - Regent	Quinn
4/11/09	Cockatiel	Benjamin (Benji)	Benjamin came into a local shelter. He is terrified of hands; possibly an aviary bird who escaped. The likelihood of him being adopted from the shelter is slim so they asked Mickaboo to take this little guy.

Click here to become an Angel to a bird from the Pleasanton Aviary Rescue

Click here to become an Angel to a MickaCoo Pigeon or Dove!

Birds and Their Angels
If you don't see your Angel bird here, please be sure to check our Angel Graduates page (link below).

Angel(s)	Species	Bird(s) Rescued	Reason for Rescue	Picture or Link to Bird's Story
Angel: Anonymous	Cockatiel	Sydney	Sydney was rescued from a local shelter. He has a wing that droops a bit and dried blood between his nares. He will see an avian vet tomorrow.	6/26/09
Angel: Max K.	Eclectus	Sabrina	Sabrina is dealing with hormonal issues that require regular Lupron injections which can be quite costly!	4/14/09
Angel: For J.V. Hrovat: Happy Father's Day	Red-Lored Amazon	Bebe	Bebe is a sweet and gentle 42 year-old bird who had nowhere else to go when her previous owner didn't have the time for her. Bebe is being treated by one of Mickaboo's avian vets and her foster dad for medical problems related to being overweight.	06/07/09
Angel: Anonymous	Amazon	Prince	Prince was at a local shelter in need of medical care. He is missing a toe and his right wing hangs most likely due to a previous injury. Prince needs surgery on his foot and radiographs of his wing to determine the extent of the injury.	5/8/09
Angel: Chloe	Conure-Mitred	Buddy	Buddy has been returned to Mickaboo and needs to see an avian vet.	3/22/09
Angel: Zora M. Surprise, AZ, & Donna Cresswell	Conure- Blue Crown	Rico	Rico came to us from a shelter and has an overgrown beak. He will need to see an avian vet as this can signal underlying health issues.	3/6/09
Angel: Candace Kubczak, Milwaukee, WI	Cockatiel	Stephen & Vanessa	Stephen is overweight and he has what is called a xanthoma on his wing. Because of this most of the flight feathers are gone from the wing. Whether they will grow back or not and whether or not his wing will heal without surgery are unknown at this point.	3/15/09
Angel: Rachel C.	Conure	Alice		2/21/09

Guardian Angels: Kari Terhark, Santa Clara, CA Bill Kruspe, Dorene's Dad The companions of Buddy, Wookie, and Jinge	Macaw	Max & Rico	These boys have a very special story and their own web page: A Special Partnership.

Get updates on Angel "graduates" on the Angel Graduates page.

Please visit our In Memoriam page for Angel birds we have lost.

Please note! Our birds' lives are subject to sudden changes. If a bird is removed from the Angel program, we may transfer your Angel funds to another bird in need. Becoming a bird's Angel does not imply any legal rights over the bird or its care.