What can I do to [legally] help this bird?

[Fur&Feathers]

I'll make this short. At a local flea market, sellers bring in their cockatoo with them to their work place. Dante has a cage that's made for a cockatiel, which is fine because he's only in it to sleep, eat or drink. (He's always supervised, can't imagine what the place would look like if he were not. Probably something similar to a tornado running through there. ) Anyway, this bird is kept in a cage SMALLER than Dante's. I saw the bird bite the owner and it's no wonder why, cause then the owner, not parent, HIT the bird on the head!!! And not lightly. I have no idea how to help this little guy and I would like his abuse to come to an end. I've thought about offering money for the bird, but I'm pretty sure that won't work. Any ideas? Thank you.

[kittycats_delight]

I like the way you put the word legally in the title. Honestly, I have no real suggestion for you. I wish you all the luck in the world and hope you can rescue the poor baby. I know you said you don't think offering money would work but maybe it is worth a try anyway. Best of luck with saving this little guy. Keep us updated.

[Lobodeb]

You might want to call your local animal shelter. They can point you in the right direction.

Here in Chicago, there is a little Mercado that sells birds. One day, there was a cage full of Cockatiels (sp?). One of them was dead on the bottom of the cage and there was another next to it that didn't have any feet! Just stubs. I called our local authorities, they did an invesitagation and shut the place down.

[chocolatepuppy]

I would call any and every animal agency in your area. And do tell them YOU saw him hit the bird!

[lvpets2002]

Oh that would have made me mad too & I cant stand such immoralness against our furr babies.. Now if I saw that then I think I would have slamed into him hard enough he felt it & said oh sorry I did not see you && then yes would have offered to buy the bird..

[Giselle]

What condition is the Too in?
Does the Too pluck itself?
Does s/he scream at the marketplace?
Can you see the Too's breastbones?
What about feather condition?
Beak condition?

If you have a bad report about any of the above questions, the bird is most likely being severely neglected. If the bird is not exhibiting any of the above maladies, then you really can't take him (or her) from the owners. The SPCA can only give a slight shove if the animal is being emotionally neglected. As long as the animal is not physically neglected, the SPCA can usually not step in. My suggestion is to go back to the marketplace, and get some hard proof. Take one of those Kodak camera whatchamacallits where the photo comes out about 30 seconds after the picture is taken. That way, nobody can suspect Photoshopping or other tinkering with the pictures. If you have a digital camera, I'd also suggest taking short videos of the owners abusing the bird. I really wish you luck! Poor Toos can live for 80 years. I would hate to be living 80 years in those conditions