Press

All Species Kinship (A.S.K.)

7 hours ago

You may have heard how "great" urban farming is working out for Kalamazoo area where there are few restrictions and zero standards for animal care/housing. At least that's what you hear from people not living next to it, or not responding to the cases as we are.

The reality is, it's not "working out," and organizations like ours are asked for assistance weekly to take "non-laying, useless hens," or in this case, "..a few farm animals (2 turkeys, 11 hens, 3 roosters, and 10 ducks) which my city has revoked my ability to keep." This isn't "a few" when you properly provide vet care, predator-proof housing and attentive enrichment. This is a quick $1K on basic vet care needs.

This location already had Animal Control remove multiple birds from their city property. Reportedly many were deceased, and it wasn't of natural causes. They will likely acquire more again, without prosecution. And they won't be prosecuted without strong ordinances. This turkey is parasite-ridden and has some of the worst feather condition we have ever seen.

This is the vicious cycle we work to prevent on a weekly basis with the blood, sweat and tears pouring.

Just yesterday we planned to rescue a chick whom had been predator-attacked due to insufficient predator-protection in her coop. They are since working to fix it, but only after.. She had been suffering for ONE WEEK without vet care, despite having a completely fractured FEMUR. Her largest leg bone was literally dangling. Imagine how that felt? Imagine if she were a dog??

It doesn't matter if your heart is "in the right place," and you "love animals." Absent vet care, for whatever reason, is unacceptable and inconsistent with "love." She arrived, and we opened the box to a dead bird.

We are passionate about the cause of elevating concern and care for birds in particular because we see repeatedly, first-hand, how bad they have it in "good homes, with good hearts" because the resources and/or planning just isn't there. ...