Sometimes the most rewarding rescues are the ones everyone said couldn’t be done. That’s exactly the story of the Hawaiian 12 — a flock of 12 Blue and Gold Macaws rescued by the Hawaiian Feathered Friends Network from a potentially dangerous situation right here on Oahu.
The rescue began when a fellow club member spotted the macaws being sold on Craigslist and alerted HFFN Co-Founder Angela Rezentes. She got on the phone immediately. It quickly became clear that the owner had passed away the year before, and the flock’s caretaker — though well-meaning — knew little about parrots and had never properly cared for any type of animal. The birds were not tame, re-homing them individually was out of the question, and the whole flock needed veterinary care and de-worming before they could travel anywhere.
Oahu has no bird sanctuary, so finding the right home meant looking beyond Hawaii. Through their connection with Betsy Lott of Mollywood Avian Sanctuary in Washington, HFFN was introduced to Bob Dawson, owner of Macaw Rescue and Sanctuary. Mr. Dawson was not only willing — he was eager — to take the entire flock and keep them together. For birds who had lived as a family for over 20 years, that was everything.
Negotiating possession of the 12 birds took time and care. The macaws had been living in makeshift cages of rusted scrap metal with no toys, no stimulation, and no names — their ages unknown. One bird in particular stood out immediately: a male with a severe open beak injury who had never seen a vet. The team named him Bugsy.
Getting 12 large macaws from Honolulu to Seattle in the middle of one of the hottest summers on record was no small feat. United Airlines Pet Safe scheduled the flock across six different flights over four separate nights. HFFN club members Nadine Onodera, Carl Juban, and Camille Van Marter fostered 11 of the birds, while Bugsy was cared for at the home of Co-Founder Melissa Bayles. Dr. Cheng, DVM of Aloha Animal Hospital, and Dr. Brian Walsh, DVM, generously donated the entire vet bill for the flock.
To help cover the cost of plane tickets and transport, HFFN turned to their Facebook community. Bugsy quickly became a beloved figure — a GoFundMe campaign launched, and support poured in from around the world. Jeff Lesch of Grain and Milling, Jeff Peterson of Purina Animal Nutrition, Kyle, Julie and Aaron Kodama of Waimanalo Feed, and many others donated generously.
One by one, every bird arrived in Seattle safe and sound. Upon arrival, all 12 were placed together in one large aviary at Macaw Rescue and Sanctuary — the only exception being Bugsy, whose beak still needed time to heal before his reunion with his family. The photos tell the rest of the story: birds perching on natural wooden branches, playing, foraging, chewing on wood toys for the very first time.
“We are all happy that we were able to be a part of this amazing experience,” said Angela Rezentes. “We did what many said we couldn’t, and it made our dream come true.”
With the support of Macaw Rescue and Sanctuary, Mollywood Avian Sanctuary, Feather and Fur Animal Hospital, Aloha Animal Hospital, our incredible club members, and the international parrot community, we gave the Hawaiian 12 their Happy Ever After.
Originally featured in Parrots eMag, October 2015.