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Exotic birds removed from vacant building

They’ll live in an aviary ‘where they can fly around and be birds.’

Sharon Karns (back), a Humane Officer with the Miami County Humane Society and Michelle Masud place a bird inside a cage that is inside a small truck-pulled trailer. Sixteen exotic birds were taken from a residence near Troy Ohio. The birds were taken to a bird sanctuary located in Tampa Fla.

Ron Alvey Sharon Karns (back), a Humane Officer with the Miami County Humane Society and Michelle Masud place a bird inside a cage that is inside a small truck-pulled trailer. Sixteen exotic birds were taken from a residence near Troy Ohio. The birds were taken to a bird sanctuary located in Tampa Fla.

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By Nancy Bowman, Staff Writer 10:09 PM Tuesday, September 6, 2011

UNION TWP., Miami County — Sixteen exotic birds taken from a condemned vacant building in August are heading to a new home at a Florida sanctuary.

Doug Ratcliff, the birds’ owner, signed over their ownership to the nonprofit Florida Exotic Bird Sanctuary Inc. Tuesday afternoon. The birds were relocated last month from a building to a pole barn on his property and their care monitored by Sharon Karns, Miami County humane officer.

Each bird, wrapped in a large towel, was brought from the building Tuesday and placed in a cage in a trailer used by the Tampa-area sanctuary. The trip to Florida was expected to take 17 hours.

Ten other birds taken from the property last month for medical treatment remained Tuesday at the Dayton South Veterinary Clinic.

Debbie Huckaby, fundraising director at the sanctuary, said she had hoped to also take those birds to Florida, but added they could be moved later, if needed.

Reports of filthy conditions in the Union Twp. building sparked calls and emails to local officials from around the country and beyond, demanding action. Karns said she found seven dead birds during her initial investigation.

Karns said she would not pursue charges. “Releasing the birds closed the investigation. The birds are going to a really nice sanctuary. I think this is the best result for the birds,” she said.

The sheriff’s office is investigating Ratcliff’s complaint that the some of his birds were stolen. Chief Deputy Dave Duchak said Tuesday that detectives continued to investigate the complaint, but also said the department’s goal is to get the birds to a sanctuary.

Huckaby said the birds would be quarantined and checked in Florida before going to a 3,000-square-foot aviary “where they can fly around and be birds.”

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