Every third Sunday in June this annual Parrot Walk/Picnic takes place in one of The Netherlands beautiful natural parks. One of the biggest things that Dr. Hooimeijer stresses is that birds can be and need to be outside and participating in outside activities with their owners on a regular basis. It may come as a big surprise for some to see birds bike-riding and soaking up outdoor fun with other birds and people, but at this event that's exactly what you see, in abundance. It may not happen overnight, but using an approach like Dr. Hooimeijer's it does happen.

An avian veterinarian since 1982 and a proponent of Harrison's Bird Foods since 1989, Dr. Hooimeijer operates out of the small Dutch town of Meppel. He has many clients and has encountered just about every scenario when it comes to pet birds and pet bird owners. His unique approach to the client/bird/vet relationship was discussed at the meeting in Monterey and it really struck a chord with us here at Harrison's because we can tell you that a day doesn't go by when we get an inquiry or a request for samples where the person will say something along the lines of "I need a sample to make sure my bird will eat it" or "I plan on mixing the nuggets in with all his table foods and seeds etc. because he loves all that stuff".

It's often very hard to reach these people and to convince them that the odds of getting the best results are no good using this approach. Not to mention that there's a perception that it's "cute" that the bird has the upper hand in the relationship, dictating the diet and so on. We are limited to simply offering advice on how to get results, while Dr. Hooimeijer takes its a step further and makes it an obligation for his clients.

" My aim/goal is to work together with the owner for the best interest/health/welfare of the birds based on mutual respect. When owners have reason to doubt my intentions, disagree with the given advices and not willing to start working with Harrison's Bird Foods, they do not consider me as their avian veterinarian and I do not consider them as my clients. Advices dealing with management; feeding, housing, care, educating are crucial and are not given as a informal suggestions or free of obligations. Prevention and wellbeing are the goals and solving preventable problems is not what we are looking for. Over the past 20 years we can see major changes within the Clinic. All for the better."

PARTICIPATING IN THE EVENT IS JUST ONE OF THE BENEFITS...
"The Parrot Walk/Picnic is only on invitation and only for clients of the Clinic. We put clients on the list that follow our advice concerning care and education. Clients that, according to the advice, take their birds outside as often as possible for their daily walks/excercise. They have to show to have reached a certain level of commitment and can be seen as role models. It means that of course every Parrot Walk Parrot is a Harrison's bird!!. The event is of course :-) sponsored by Harrison's Bird Foods; The Netherlands."

Even though the crustiest old, finger biting, cage bound parrots have succeeded in total transformation and taken part in the event, actually having that healthy, well mannered, family pet is the ultimate prize for Dr. Hooimeijer's clients.

"When those clients enter the exam room after watching a video of the aims and goals of the Clinic and about parrot behavior, after watching the pictures of happy families with happy beautiful parrots walking outside, my work becomes more and more easy. I start asking questions about the reason they got the parrot in the first place. Questions to find out what the level of knowledge is of the client about his/her bird(s). Questions about normal life expectations and about the actual life expectations and causes of death. Questions about the disease symptoms and about the behavioral problems. We have a list of abnormalities we can find when there is malnutrition involved and we start looking together with the owner for those signs with the list on the table. Over the years I have more and more fun dealing with those clients. I make them realize that the parrot is not the problem, The parrot is not the patient. The parrot is the victim of a lack of information, wrong information, ignorance, lack of positive role models and most of all victim of the trade in birds/food/ and so on.

When I am able to handle the parrot within 5-10 minutes , making the bird step on my hand and play games with the bird they are often completely stunned. They are amazed to experience that the parrot accepts the examination, treatments/injections without stress. We have fun about comparing educating children, dogs. We have fun talking about learning to play the piano or learning to drive a car as examples that everything may be simple when you are experienced but the whole learning process is not easy." .

It's hard for the clients not to be excited about the possibilities when they realize the doctor has a real passion for what he is doing...

"We have fun comparing the teacher that is respected by the pupils with the teacher that becomes overruled by the children. What are the differences. Most owners are overruled by their parrots. Owners blame the parrots for the behavioral problems. Because the big majority of the owners have real good attentions, they are positively overwhelmed by the pro-parrot attitude within the Clinic. It's not an exception that they become emotional realizing that they have to make up a lot of things with their parrots. After that they believe everything I say and advice and there are no more arguments about whatever. They go home with about 25 pages of information and we make another appointment after 4 weeks as a follow up. One advice is to keep a booklet, make notes about situations and write down questions that arise so we can discuss that the next consultation. Organizing the Parrot Walk/Picnic events is the result / outcome of the approach we are using over the years within the Clinic for Birds.. Everything becomes more and more fun and for sure more and more rewarding. My advice to every colleque dealing with parrots is to consider organizing an event like this every year for your clients and for yourself. I did not expected it to become such a wonderful experience."

THE EVENT REACHES BEYOND IT'S PARTICIPANTS...
We asked the doctor what his overall purpose/goals were regarding the walk and they were not limited to simply having a good time or the above-mentioned approach to having a pet bird...

1) To get positive people together and have a great day for and with our parrots.

2) To provide owners the experience that they are not alone in the world doing the right thing.

3) To create the opportunity to exchange experiences among clients/families.

4) To get media attention, showing the general public what we consider responsible ownership showing and creating positive role models.

5) To use the opportunity address issues in the media concerning parrot welfare. The past two years we asked attention for the campaign against the importation of wild caught parrots into Europe. Participants collected signatures on petitions in advance. World Parrot Trust has been invited to participate , providing information, receiving the signatures and so on. The past two years the event has been covered by different TV-channels, in many different newspapers, and radio stations. So far parrots have never been in the media this way, showing positive role models and asking attention for the welfare and conservation issues.

6)We use the parrot Walk/Picnic to get owners more and more involved in parrot conservation. We educate them that their parrot is an embassador of their counterparts in nature.

7) To create a group of people that can serve as adoption homes for unwanted parrots.

8) To create a stronger bonding between the clients and the Clinic for Birds.

9) The event is all about prevention and welfare. By now we have about 500 families on the invitation list for the next parrot Walk/Picnic and the list is growing all the time Next year we will, besides the annual parrot Walk/Picnic, also organize a Parrot Biking day with families that are already taking their parrots for biking tours. We are working on this invitation list every day since the last Parrot Walk. Every new client is confronted in the waiting room, through video and pictures with the parrot walk and everybody wants to become part of that big family. I use it every new consultation to make a difference in the attitude of clients especially dealing with behavioral problems or issues of unwanted parrots. For the "old" clients it is fun to watch the pictures of the previous walks and see themselves back The previous event we asked a photographer to make pictures . Those are available in a book in the waiting room.

A SATISFYING DAY FOR ALL...
"Organizing the parrot Walk/Picnic has become one of the most rewarding and positive outcomes for me as avian veterinarian. During those events I am no longer the avian veterinarian but one of the parrot owners that is having a great and comfortable day with my fellow parrot owners. There is a lot of mutual respect. Some clients have become great friends. It is real fun to see owners walking and playing or biking with their parrots that could not believe they would ever be able to do that in the past."

Photos by: Dimitri Steimeier
If you are interested in participation or learning more about The Parrot Walk/Picnic, contact: HBF The Netherlands
Dr. Jan Hooimeijer
Galgenkampsweg
4-7942HD Meppel
The Netherland
Phone: 01131522259455
Fax: 01131522263447

e-mail: jan.birds@worldonline.NL
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