Hello from New Member in Houston

06-09-2007, 06:13 AM

Hi y'all, Kathy Heaton here. A little about me:

I retired as a Communications Consultant from Southwestern Bell Telephone Company in Houston, Texas, after 30 years service. I was first employed by Southern Bell Telephone Company immediately following my graduation from high school in Shreveport, Louisiana. After completing an accelerated 2 year technical course presented by Texas A&M in Houston for Southwestern Bell Telephone Company employees, I received extensive technical training at international communications industry and Bellcore advanced education centers located in Dallas and Chicago. Prior to that, I learned Bellcore sales and revenue management practices.

I purchased a single handfed Peachface lovebird in August 1997. Before then, I had only owned a budgie when I was a child. I presently have two pet senegal parrots and I breed approximately 130 pairs and 13 different species of small cage birds, including Bourke's grass parakeets, several species of Australian grass finches, English budgerigars, and 3 species of lovebirds. Occasionally, a bird requiring rehoming will temporarily join our household.

I bought my first home computer in 1999 and proceeded to gather information about various species of birds that interested me. As I learned, I began compiling email addresses of fellow aviculturists in Texas and Louisiana. I also began keeping a list of local bird clubs, shows, fairs and marts. In 2003 I assembled this information into an online read-only news board I called the Bird_Breeder-Hobbyist at Bird_Breeder-Hobbyist : Bird_Breeder-Hobbyist

Present subscribers number approximately 1000 people.

My first post to my group was entitled "Exotic Newcastle Disease Confirmed in Texas 4/10/2003". It was rapidly followed by "Sick chickens prompt emergency bill in Texas." I found myself inundated with queries regarding what soon became Texas House Bill 2328.

Those questions led to my initiating an electronic letter-writing campaign to Texas legislators. After personally collecting signatures from Houston-area aviculturists on over a hundred letters, I delivered all of them to the state capitol in Austin on May 5, 2003.

Despite our opposition, Texas House Bill 2328 passed, becoming the Texas Poultry and Fowl Registration Program.

I attended the 347th Texas Animal Health Commissioners meeting on July 29, 2003 as an interested party. As stakeholders, Dr. Darrel Styles, others and I addressed attendees (which included House Representative Jim McReynolds, TAHC's Dr. Max Coats, General Counsel Gene Snelson, Commissioner Jill Bryar Wood, and former Texas House Speaker Gib Lewis) at the closed work session held August 21, 2003 in the Capitol extension.

I enlisted assistance from AFA's Steve Duncan, Laurella Desborough, and Genny Wall; we were able to influence rewording of the regulations enforcing the Texas Poultry and Fowl Registration Program to essentially exclude exotic birds that are not in direct contact with domestic fowl. Many considered this to be a significant accomplishment.

I am currently involved with National Avian Welfare Alliance efforts pertaining to USDA/APHIS's request for comments regarding the inclusion of birds under the Animal Welfare Act.

I have been or presently am:

· 2003-2007 Member, American Federation of Aviculture American Federation of Aviculture
· 2003-2007 Member and former Communications Coordinator, National Parrot Rescue and Preservation Foundation (NPRPF)
· 2003 Member, International Parrotlet Society
· 2003-2007 Member, Triangle Bird Club
· 2003 International Parrotlet Society delegate to the American Federation of Aviculture
· 2004 NPRPF delegate to the American Federation of Aviculture
· 2003 AFA Convention attendee
· 2003 International Parrotlet Society delegate to the National Avian Welfare Alliance
· 2003-2004 NPRPF delegate to the National Avian Welfare Alliance
· 2003-2004 Attendee, National Avian Welfare Alliance meetings in Houston and San Antonio NAWA Member Groups
· 2004-2007 Volunteer and attendee, NPRPF Parrot Festival NPRPF-Parrot Festival Homepage
· 2003-2007 Attendee, South Texas Avian Symposium (presented by River City Bird Club in conjunction with the Schubot Bird Research Center at Texas A&M) River City Bird Club - Home Page
· 2004 Attendee, AFA Fundamentals of Aviculture, trial presentation to the Triangle Bird Club
· 2004 Volunteer and attendee, AFA Fundamentals of Aviculture, Houston, Texas
· 2003-2007: I actively advertised and campaigned for attendance to AFA conventions and Fundamentals of Aviculture presentations, both in person and via my Bird_Breeder-Hobbyist news board.
· 2004-2005 Member, Acadiana Bird Club - Lafayette LA Acadiana Bird Club
· 2000, 2003-2007 Member, Canary & Finch Society - Pasadena TX Canary & Finch Society
· 2003-2006 Member, Lake Area Bird Club - Lake Charles LA lakeareabirdclub.com
· 2005-2007 South Texas State Coordinator, AFA
· 2006 Triangle Bird Club delegate to the American Federation of Aviculture
· 2006 AFA Convention attendee
· 2007 Member, Lineolated Parakeet Society Home of the Lineolated Parakeet

Kathy Heaton
78°F in Houston TX
Bird_Breeder-Hobbyist : Bird_Breeder-Hobbyist

Animals don't have rights; people have responsibilities.

Dear Lord, grant me the Serenity to ignore the trolls,
the Courage to debate with honest opponents, and the
Wisdom to know the difference.