Parrot Partners will be able to stay open, thanks to fundraising efforts.

Parrot Partners, Canada’s only professionally certified training, behaviour modification, and rehabilitation centre for parrots, almost closed its doors due to a large Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan repayment. Located in a 510.9 m² (5,500-sf) space in Carleton Place, Ont, the centre teaches all 55 of its birds important classical and operant behavioural conditioning techniques.

In conversation with Ottawa Citizen, founder Judy Tennant says, “We don’t say we’re a rescue, because a rescue is a last resort. We’re more of a charm school. Our pupils come from people saying, ‘My mother died and her bird always hated me. Now he’s flying at my face every chance he gets. I just can’t do it.’”

After the COVID-19 pandemic, avian flu, and rising inflation, the centre was struggling as a result of their CEBA debt. As Tennant explains, “We had 10 years of financial stability before COVID, and this whole knock-on effect.”

Almost 900,000 businesses and non-profit organizations received an interest-free CEBA loan to sustain operations during the pandemic. A portion of these loans—up to one-third—had the potential to be forgiven if the outstanding amount was settled by the specified deadline. However, failure to meet this deadline would result in the remaining debt being converted into a three-year loan with an annual interest rate of five per cent.

In order to stay open, Parrot Partners needed to raise $65,000. They turned to animal lovers, asking for donations in their pet’s names. Thankfully, generous public donations helped the centre raise nearly $90,000 by the end of February. While fundraising efforts continue, the recent donation ensures the centre will be able to stay open.