Charlotte County parrot rescue needs new home before October lease ends

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (WINK) — A Charlotte County non-profit says they are running out of time to find a new home.

Parrot Outreach has cared for birds for years, but rising rent could force them out of their current space. Their lease is up in October, and their monthly rent is skyrocketing to nearly $8,000 a month.

Birds of all species fill the Parrot Outreach Society in Charlotte County. Many of them were rescued after their owner died or after getting injured in the wild and now require hands-on care.

"We get birds from bad situations where the owners have passed away, and they don't even remember they have birds anymore. You know, different situations. We take them all," said Andy Yates, a Parrot Outreach volunteer.

The non-profit says they could make about 4,000 to 5,000 square feet work at a space in either Charlotte or Lee County. They need a location with some outdoor space so they can have an aviary outside for the birds to fly.

"We need to find a place a little bit smaller, something we can work with, with some outside space, so we can have a little Avery outside, you know, for the birds to fly, and we need to get out of here," Yates said.

If you don't know of a new location, you can still help the non-profit in other ways. Volunteers are needed to help with daily care.

"People can come and volunteer their time, too. We have all volunteers here. We clean cages. We feed the birds. We water them. This is what we do every day, seven days a week, take care of these birds. They get clean food and water every day," Yates said.

You may even come out with a new bird friend, as many of the birds are available for adoption. Volunteers say finding the right match between bird and owner can be special.

"Some of them just want to bite everybody, and then they find a special person. All of a sudden, then it's boom. It's a match made in heaven," Yates said.

Volunteers say the move will be tough, but they need to go. Anyone who knows of a new location can reach out to Parrot Outreach for more information.