110 budgies removed from apartment
East Orange, NJ (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Mar 14, 2006
County: Essex
Disposition: Alleged
Alleged:
» Ruth A Wilson - Not Charged
» Joseph Perna - Not Charged
East Orange health officials responded March 14, 2006 to complaints of a foul stench coming from an East Orange apartment and found more than 100 birds flying and defecating about the premises. The apartment was a one-bedroom apartment at Chestnut and South Burnet streets. The residence is home to a retiree and her son. According to officials, it took nearly five hours to gather an estimated 110 birds. The birds were identified as budgerigards, or "budgies" – a type of parakeet. Authorities said this week they would return to remove the remaining birds.
"There were birds, feathers and feces everywhere in the apartment, where the mother and son slept and on their personal belongings," said Denton Infield of the Associated Humane Societies, a Newark-based animal-rescue organization.
The residents were Ruth Wilson, 62, a retired bookkeeper, and her son, Joseph Perna, 40. Both residents were issued summonses by the East Orange Health Department on the grounds of unsanitary living conditions. A summons also was issued to the unit's landlord for allowing the conditions to develop, said Public Information Officer Regina Perry. The two residents also received summonses for creating a nuisance because of the odors that permeated the premises, said Paschal Nwako, the city's senior health inspector. "It was difficult to breathe," said Nwako in a press statement. "The conditions there were horrendous. It's a mess."
About five years ago, Wilson moved from an efficiency apartment into her current residence. She brought two birds to her new apartment, then her disabled son moved in. She said that she was unaware the budgies were breeding so fast and ensured she would take better precautions in monitoring the birds. "I'm going to aggressively pull eggs and throw them away, to make sure this does not happen again," Wilson said in a press statement.
City officials first got word of the problem on March 14, 2006 after a neighbor called the health department with complaints about the odor, Nwako said. Initially, Wilson was reluctant to let officials inspect the apartment, Nwako said, but they gained access the following day. Upon entering, they discovered scattered birdseed, places in the walls where the birds had poked holes, and torn papers and clothing. In addition, the apartment was attracting mice, said officials.
The AHS was called in to remove the birds, but catching them proved difficult. "There were some that were real easy to catch, and then there were others that would try and take your hand off. Only about 10 birds were actually in their cages," said AHS employee Terry Clark. Clark also heads the New Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Despite the municipal summons, no cruelty charges were filed against Wilson because the budgies appeared in other respects to be well taken care of, said Clark. The birds will be shipped to the society's Popcorn Park Zoo in Lacey Township, Ocean County, said Executive Director Roseann Trezza.
References« NJ State Animal Cruelty Map
« More cases in Essex County, NJ
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