Mango’s Haven Rescue & Sanctuary grows out of city residents’ home
They might have thought they were just adopting a new pet at the time, but Teresa and Randy Arnett’s lives changed forever and their future path was paved when they adopted a Goffin’s cockatoo named Mango in 2011.
Mango previously lived at a bird rescue near Dayton and didn’t take to people very easily. But Randy was able to quickly bond with the cockatoo.
“Every volunteer got bit by Mango, but when we visited, Mango jumped on Randy’s shoulder,” his wife recalled. “They have grown to become the best of buddies.”
The Bellefontaine couple now operates out of their residence Mango’s Haven Rescue & Sanctuary, 701 W. Auburn Ave., a safe place for 67 birds, including a variety of parrots, from macaws to cockatoos, Congo African greys and others, along with parakeets and cockatiels. It is one of a select few such shelters in the state.
Many of the birds will find forever homes with other carefully-selected families some day, while a few of the birds are not adoptable because of their unique needs. One of their Congo African greys named Murphy, for example, occasionally has seizures.
“Over the years, we have gotten parrots that were abused, neglected or the people who had them just couldn’t take care of them anymore. We have taken in sick and handicapped parrots. We have taken in perfectly healthy parrots,” Teresa said.
“One thing they all have in common is they just want to be loved. When you have a parrot’s love and trust, there is nothing more precious. Looking into a parrot’s eyes is like looking into their soul. You can see how much they love you. You can see how much they trust you.”
While it started with Mango and the loving connection between her and Randy, the Arnetts soon adopted several additional birds from shelters. Then they started getting calls from people who perhaps couldn’t take care of their parrots anymore or didn’t realize all of the maintenance involved.
Another common occurrence with parrots is the birds outliving their owners, and then other family members not being to shoulder the responsibility. Teresa noted that macaws can surpass 100 years old, even living to be 125 years old in some cases.
“Some birds are in really bad shape when we get them,” she said. “We’ve rescued birds from all over Ohio and even from some other states, including Tennessee, Virginia and Illinois. We have stories from all over.
“When we get them here to Mango’s Haven, it takes time to build up that trust with them for some of these birds that have been abused or neglected. But it is so rewarding to see their personalities start to shine through as we work with them.”
Her husband of 27 years noted that interacting with the parrots is a lot like playing with a young child — and they even like a lot of the same types of toys.
“It’s like having a toddler for 100 years,” said Randy, who ChiChi the macaw calls “Grandpa.” “They learn continuously and they love to play and interact with you. They each have their own unique personalities, just like children do.”
In 2018, Mango’s Haven became a 501c3 organization. As the bird sanctuary grew, they also needed more space to house the parrots, parakeets and cockatiels.
So about two years ago, the Arnetts built a new climate-controlled steel building in their backyard, specifically to house the birds, including 12 macaws and a number of cockatoos and other birds that currently call the space home.
The building was funded through Mango’s Haven’s annual poker run, along with a contribution from a “very generous donor,” Teresa said.
Throughout the year, potential adoptive families can visit the bird sanctuary to see if one of these unique animals might be in their future. Adoption fees are about one-fourth the cost compared to a pet store, but there is also a selective process they must go through.
“We tell people that the bird picks the person,” Teresa related. “For parrots, we ask the potential adoptive families visit several times to spend time with the parrot and see how they interact and how comfortable they become with each other.
“Then we like to keep in touch with the families after they go home, to make sure everything is going smoothly and to ensure a good transition for everyone.”
Safety concerns are a big part of the adoption process as well. Macaws often are not a good fit for families with small children, as its beak can be even larger than a fist.
“We try to educate people before they adopt. For these parrots, it’s not a matter of if they’ll bite, but when,” Teresa said. “You can’t take the wild out of them.”
Operating Mango’s Haven is a full-time job for the Arnetts. Cleaning cages and the space for the birds takes at least several hours every day, the couple noted, a daily chore that they complete each morning.
As a non-profit organization, the bird sanctuary is always looking for new volunteers and those who want to help out through donations. Teresa often posts about specific needs via Mango Haven’s Facebook page, “Mango’s Haven Rescue & Sanctuary,” and operates an auction page to raise funds for the shelter as well. All donations are 100 percent tax deductible. “While there were about 17 million birds in rescues around the U.S. just a few years ago, there are not many grants or government funding that you can receive to operate this type of rescue, like you would for a facility that houses cats or dogs,” she said.
Bagged food to feed all of the birds costs Mango’s Haven about $1,000 a month. In addition, they purchase a number of fresh foods for the birds to eat to keep them healthy.
Because of the dust that the birds emit, the Arnetts also must change their furnace filter about every two weeks, another expense for the bird sanctuary.
Vet bills add up as well, especially for some of the birds that have medical conditions and must be seen regularly. Going to the vet also is not such a quick process, since the parrots must see an exotic animal veterinarian and theirs is in Cincinnati.
Also to help raise funds, community members are invited to participate in the upcoming seventh annual Mango’s Haven poker run, slated for Saturday, July 15, rain or shine, starting at the Bellefontaine Moose Lodge, 912 S. Detroit St. Registration begins at 10 a.m. and the first bike is out at noon.
The cost is $15 single or $25 per couple. In addition to motorcycles, all vehicles are invited to participate in the run, with the last bike in at 5 p.m. and feathered friends to offer their greetings at that time. A 50/50 drawing, raffle items, live music and a food truck are planned.
For inquiries about Mango’s Haven, Mrs. Arnett can be reached at (937) 407-9145.