OLYMPIA — It’s noisier than usual at Joint Animal Services after the organization seized 53 animals last week, 50 of which are at its main office in Olympia.
And of those 50 animals, more than half are exotic birds, including parrots.
“Everybody’s adjusting,” Executive Director Sarah Hock said Wednesday. “The birds are a little stressed because of the change of environment, but they are beginning to come out of their shells and show their personalities.”
One of those parrots is in Hock’s office and could clearly be heard in the background while she spoke to a reporter.
“I ‘cluck, cluck, cluck’ at him,” she said, “and he ‘cluck, cluck, clucks’ back to me.”
Tumwater police last week asked Joint Animal Services to do a welfare check on some animals on property in south Thurston County. Hock declined to share details about the location because it’s still an open investigation, she said.
The welfare check took place Sept. 17, then Joint Animal Services was granted a search warrant to do a more extensive search of the property on Friday. That’s when they discovered animals in various stages of neglect, Hock said. Some were underweight and there was concern about their general living conditions, she said.
In addition to the exotic birds, Joint Animal Services seized geese, ducks, chickens, dogs, cats, two horses and an alpaca. The Martin Way location can’t accommodate the horses and alpaca, so they have been placed with an animal rescue group, Hock said.
Joint Animal Services will conduct its own investigation and turn over its findings to the Thurston County Prosecutor’s Office. If, at some point, Animal Services takes ownership of the animals, they will be placed with other animal rescue groups. Those groups would then decide how to handle the adoption process, she said.
Although people in the community might feel compelled to help, only Animal Services staff are caring for the animals at this time, Hock said.
However, the agency is accepting donations from the community to care for the animals, partly because exotic birds are expensive. Donations can be made in person or by sending a check to Joint Animal Services, 3120 Martin Way E. Olympia, WA 98506.
