Mark Hagen was honored recently for his steadfast support and contributions to the Animal Health program at Vanier College. As Director of Research at Hagen Group, and at the Hagen Avicultural Research Institute (HARI), Mark was recognised for his generous donation of 40 companion animal-related items (for dogs, cats, fish, and reptiles) to their silent auction, with proceeds helping to fund four Animal Health students to complete their final stage with the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in Namibia.

Mark’s commitment to sharing his expertise and his close ties to the college have spanned over 3 decades and have included:

• Serving as a guest speaker for the Exotic Animal Care course, where he shared his expertise on Parrot nutrition, health and care as well as on the ecology and the conservation ethics of parrots in the wild.
• Facilitating field trips to HARI, where he and his team provided guided tours. These visits allowed students to learn firsthand about research on parrot nutrition, pair bonding, and egg incubation.
• Facilitating wet labs for the Exotic Animal Care course, where past Vanier AHT graduates, Josee Birmingham and other HARI technicians worked with students on General Physical Exams (GPE), handling, and radiology techniques using Quaker parrots.
• Donating various items over the years to support the care of the in-house birds and reptiles used in the program.

On hand to present Mark with a plaque was Stephanie Laett, of the Animal health technology department at Vanier College. She stated  “I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Mark for his continuous and invaluable support. His contributions over the years have greatly enriched the educational experience of our students.”  

On behalf of everyone at HARI and Hagen Group, we say thank you to Mark Hagen for his dedication and the wealth of expertise he has shared has left a lasting impact and has been an incredible asset to our community.

Read the Vanier press release here: Vanier College’s Animal Health Technology program honours Mark Hagen – Vanier

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The HARI/ Hagen Group has come forward to sponsor Lifetime memberships for the Loro Parque Fundación to Dr. Lora Kim Joyner of One Earth Conservation and Enrique Pucci of Ara Manzanillo.  The memberships amount to a 4,800 € donation to Loro Parque Fundación. The membership announcements were made by HARI Director Mr. Mark Hagen. 

“HARI/Hagen Group is proud to offer these well-deserving memberships in recognition of Dr. Lora Kim Joyner’s and Enrique Pucci’s accomplishments and dedication to their respective parrot conservation projects.” said HARI Director Mark Hagen.  “There is no better recognition than to support and be a Lifetime member of the Loro Parque Fundación, with the lowest overhead, donations like this go 100 percent to conservation and the largest Parrot Conservation foundation in the world.”

“It is with deep gratitude and appreciation that we extend our sincerest thanks to you for the kind and generous support you have provided throughout the years and once again now,” remarked Loro Parque Fundación Kerstin Urban. “We extend our heartfelt appreciation for recommending these sponsorships to Loro Parque Fundación many months ago, which led to these significant partnerships. Your support bolsters our efforts in safeguarding parrots worldwide, and we are proud to welcome both Dr. Lora Kim Joyner and Enrique Pucci as a valued Lifetime Members of Loro Parque Fundación”.

“We are very honored for the privilege of becoming a Lifetime Members of Loro Parque Foundation,” said Ara Manzanillo President Enrique Pucci and Emily Yozell (life partner of Enrique and a key part of the success of the Ara Manzanillo projects). “The recognition goes to all the people who have passionately worked for 13 years establishing a viable population of Great Green Macaws (Ara ambiguus) in the South Caribbean region of Costa Rica.  We are profoundly grateful to Mark, Josee and all the Hagen Group for their consistent support through this journey of saving this magnificent and emblematic bird.”

2023 update from project Ara Manzanillo

We have crafted and installed twenty artificial nests in a 10k radius from the field station and from this year’s breeding season we banded 10 more Great Green chicks. At present, a new generation of locally born macaws are reaching breeding age, so we expect to continue increasing the population of the spectacular Great Greens (GG). We also have sighted several young non-banded birds as well as couples occupying natural cavities. They never cease to amaze us every day!

Our three core programs continue: the release and monitoring of captive bread and confiscated macaws; the education and outreach program is slowly coming back to life, after 2 years of no in-person classes, schools are back in session; and the nesting program continues to be quite successful, increasing the population of free flying GGs in Costa Rica by 26% and the world population by 6%.  Last year we added a fourth program area, rainforest reforestation focusing on trees that provide food for macaws and other wildlife.  We established a specialized tree nursery and have initiated planting over 50 hectares around the field station. We hired an indigenous part-time forestry professional, who is also a secondary school teacher inside the Bribri territory, and on weekends he brings students to hike the forest, dig and plant trees. To date, we have planted over one thousand trees of carefully selected species that someone’s grandchildren and grand-chicks will enjoy.

Updates from project One Earth Conservation

This year, One Earth Conservation’s Indigenous partners in Guyana documented and visually confirmed the first active endangered sun parakeet nest in that country! There are only a few hundred wild sun parakeets left in Guyana, so finding a nest with chicks is especially meaningful. And, in Honduras, our parrot rangers have been working hard, and putting their lives at risk, to establish and protect an Indigenous wildlife sanctuary to safeguard the critically endangered great green macaw. These are two examples of our parrot conservation projects in Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Suriname.

We also continue to remotely reach more people in the US and other countries with our Nurture Nature program, including successfully launching and completing our first Parrot Conservation Corps (PCC) in Spanish for those who wish to become parrot conservationists and learn how, from where they are, to help those doing “on-the-ground” parrot conservation. Plans are being developed to offer a bilingual PCC in 2024 (in Spanish and English).

• This bird’s protectors are its former hunters: ‘It was my turn to help them’
• One Earth Conservation – 2022 Annual Report

About Ara Manzanillo

The goal of Ara Manzanillo is to ensure the survival of the Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguous) in Costa Rica by reintroducing them into their natural habitat, engaging in scientific research, advocating for tropical forest conservation, and promoting public education. Enrique Pucci, a long-standing advocate for sustainable development in the South Caribbean region of Costa Rica, is a landowner and on-site supporter of the Ara Manzanillo reintroduction site. As a founding member of the non-profit association, he dedicates a significant amount of time to the project now that he is semi-retired. Emily Yozell, Enrique’s life partner, and a key part of the success of the Ara Manzanillo projects, has focused on investigating and litigating human rights violations in Latin America, as well as promoting the right to a healthy and ecologically balanced environment. She co-founded the first public interest environmental litigation project in Central America, Justicia para la Naturaleza, in 1994, which established many crucial environmental legal precedents. Emily is also a founding board member and property owner at the Ara Manzanillo reintroduction site. For more information, please visit www.aramanzanillo.org.

About One Earth Conservation 

One Earth Conservation is dedicated to protecting parrots and their habitats throughout the Americas. By promoting transformative parrot conservation, taking action to end the wildlife trade, and instilling a strong sense of human connection to all life, One Earth Conservation works towards a better world for all. Currently, the organization has ongoing projects in Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Guyana, Paraguay, and Suriname. Rev. Dr. LoraKim Joyner, with her more than 36 years of experience working on front-line conservation in marginalized, and often violent, communities in Central America, has answered the call to support the peoples and parrots of the Americas. She has witnessed the devastating effects of the illegal wildlife trade, which annually claims the lives of hundreds of thousands of parrots. Dr. Joyner and One Earth Conservation’s partners are committed to fighting back and nurturing nature, particularly the many species of parrots that exist in all their splendor. For more information, please visit www.oneearthconservation.org.

About the Loro Parque Fundación

Loro Parque Fundación is an organization that champions animal welfare and biodiversity conservation through various means such as research, education, responsible breeding, and conservation efforts in local communities. They are committed to the recovery of parrots and cetaceans habitats and ecosystems in different areas, working alongside local communities to ensure sustainable development. As an IUCN Species Survival Centre, they provide resources and funding to scientific projects, while also rescuing sick or injured animals and collaborating with authorities to rescue and recover specimens. The organization is dedicated to sustainability, implementing a plan that includes the use of eco-friendly products, optimizing waste management, and creating in-house initiatives. La Vera centre is renowned worldwide for its parrot recovery efforts, with over 350 species and subspecies. Loro Parque Fundación also believes in the importance of environmental education, providing visitors and students at Loro Parque with knowledge and awareness about conservation and biodiversity. For more information, please visit https://www.loroparque-fundacion.org/.

Download the original press release

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Dear Fellow Aviculturists,

With growing global concerns around COVID-19 (“coronavirus”), we hope you, your family and your precious pets remain healthy and safe. With so many unknowns presented during COVID-19, we want to provide you with an update on our response to date and our commitment to you moving forward.

Many of you have communicated your concern about how to access supplies at this time. On that subject, we want to assure you that we are doing everything we can to make sure your birds have their nutritious food in the weeks and months ahead. We remain operational presently and are working hard to keep up with the demand. As we continue to do so, we are also ensuring the highest standards of hygiene and quality control are always maintained throughout our facilities to keep our staff, yourselves and your birds safe.

You can find HARI products at your favorite local pet retailer. To make sure the product you need is in stock you might call the retailer before you make a trip to the store. Or if you prefer to have product shipped directly to you visit our on-line reseller listing.

Our pets add so much to our daily lives. We want to work together with you to help you and your pets through this health crisis. We are shipping food to our business customers daily but like other sectors, there can be some delays.  If we can assist you, please send us a message via our contact us page. We will promptly assist you in any way we can.

We wish you safety and good health.

Sources of information for COVID-19 and Pets

• OIE – World Organization for Animal Health,
• www.inspection.gc.ca/covid-19/questions-and-answers/
• www.cdc.gov/healthypets/pets/birds
• www.canadianveterinarians.net/coronavirus-covid-19
• www.avma.org/resources-tools/animal-health-and-welfare/covid-19

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Since the beginning of September, Claus GmbH became the exclusive German distributor of Hagen Industries’ HARI premium parrot food.

The activities of HARI (Hagen Avicultural Research Institute), headed by avian expert Mark Hagen M.Ag., will be presented at www.hari-futter.de. In addition to breeding and feeding parrots, HARI is also committed to species conservation and welfare.

The specially developed HARI range is explained in detail on the German website, product sheets are provided, advantages of the extruded formulas are explained and feeding tips given.

Translated from original source: https://www.forumexpress.de/neue-website-der-hari-vertretung/57576/

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Press Release

Mark Hagen M.Ag., Director of Research at the Hagen Avicultural Research Institute (HARI) to speak at Parrots 2018, Parrot Society of Australia’s 10th international biennial convention

For Release: June 13, 2018

Baie D’Urfe – The HARI institute is pleased to confirm that Mark Hagen has accepted an invitation to speak at Parrots 2018, the Parrot Society of Australia’s 10th International Convention on Saturday July 7th. Mark’s topic Feeding Parrots at (HARI) for 30 years: Nutrition of Seeds vs Pellets will give insight to the pros and cons of each food item as it relates to vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fats when trying to achieve optimum nutrition with a mixture of foods. Mark answers the question, Is it possible to feed easy to prepare cost efficient diets without compromising proper levels of essential nutrients? And is it possible to get these nutrients into birds at optimum intake levels?

See video of presentation (edited July 9, 2018)

Note: In addition to his talk, Mark Hagen, on behalf of the HARI institute, will donate to the Parrot Society a limited-edition book about parrots, written by the late Dr Anton Reichenow (1847-1941) a German zoologist and ornithologist who specialized in African birds). Dr. Reichenow’s book Vogelbilder aus Fernen Zonen: Abbildungen und Beschreibungen der Papageien, as-well-as 33 frameable acid-free reprints of the original hand-drawn parrot illustrations (illustrated by Gustav Mützel, 1839–1893) was first published in 1878, there are not many original copies left. Mark had 50 copies reprinted and have been given out over the past several years to parrot conservation groups and veterinarians for their dedication to parrots.

The Parrot Society plans to put the book up for auction Saturday night at the Official 2018 Parrot Trust of Australia Conservation and Fundraising Dinner.

Learn more about the Parrot Society of Australia Parrot Convention.

Images of select prints included in the collection.

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*Important see updated booking information below

September 24^th to 27^th, 2018 – Tenerife Spain

The International Convention of Parrots is the most important event for parrot hobbyists. Since its founding in 1986, it has become a worldwide event that takes place every four years and brings together scientists, biologists and parrot lovers. There will be in-depth workshops held on the three days after the Convention, with experts giving very practical advice on the care and breeding of parrots. Download the preliminary conference program.

The conference attendees and accompanying persons will have unlimited access to Loro Parque during the Convention, and will be able to experience the new and enhanced attractions. These include the wonderful new habitat for Red Pandas and the new aviaries for communities of Amazon parrots and parakeets from South and Central America. Learn more.

360 view of Loro Parque

The Convention offers three Workshops that will be held in English, the 28th, 29th and 30th of September 2018. The following issues will be discussed: Hand Raising / Parrot Nutrition / Illnesses, Treatments and Prophylaxis. There are only a limited number of places! Click for workshop schedule. If you plan on staying on for these workshops, be sure to check off the correct box in the options section of the registration form.

Breeding Aviary Tour

There is also a possibility for a tour of the Loro Parque Breeding Center in La Vera. The breeding center is one of the most valuable places of the Loro Parque Foundation, there they house most of the 4,000 parrot specimens of their reserve: 350 species and subspecies, many of them seriously endangered. It is a unique site, which occupies 30,000 square meters of an old banana plantation; with nearly 1,200 large aviaries surrounded by plants and covered with nets that filter light and guarantee an optimal and healthy environment for their birds.

In order to participate in this tour, you must be signed up for a membership with the Loro Parque Foundation. You can do this on the registration form by checking off the correct box listed under Special Fees.

Things to do

There is plenty to do on the island, with unlimited access to Loro Parque during the Convention and other planned excursions. It will make your stay in Tenerife not only a learning experience from a purely avian point of view, but a visit to an island that is a place of leisure and entertainment as well!

Planning on attending? Need booking advice for flight and hotel?

Mark Hagen has attended the International Parrot Conference since the early 1990’s.  Register via HARI and you will not only have access to the convention, Loro Parque and conferences, but you will be in the company of Mark Hagen, Josee Bermingham and others from the HARI team where they will be on-hand for informal discussions on parrot nutrition, behavior,  and health.  Mark also plans to give a guided tour of the park’s most extensive collection of parrots worldwide. Also included with the registration fee is participation in the avian networking dinners which take place every evening with hundreds of parrotheads from around the globe!

Fees and Budget via Canada

For one (1) week stay per person (Canadian dollar approximate): $2.800.00
Flight: $1,200.00, Hotel: $650.00/person (2 person/room), Conference registration: $700.00, Misc.: $250.00

For lowest fare on flights, it’s best to book early. Tenerife has two airports. The ideal would be to fly into Madrid.  From Madrid fly to Tenerife North (TFN) as it is closest to the convention. If you fly into Tenerife South, you can take advantage of the distance by renting a car and touring the island before the convention starts. Visit the website for information on transportation. Note that flights from Madrid to Tenerife are approximately $200.00 U.S. return.

Accommodations

The official hotel of the convention is the Hotel Botanico. The hotel is located in Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife. The advantage of staying at the Botanico is that this is where the welcome cocktail and the congress gala dinner will be held. In addition it has a special offer of exclusive accommodations for participants to the convention. This special promotion offers you an excellent breakfast buffet, exclusive access to the thermal circuit of ‘The Oriental Spa Garden’ (over 16 years old) and free WIFI.  They also provide free transfer service to the Congress Center.

There are other hotels that can be recommended. Register with HARI and have the added benefit of using travel agent services via Hagen. Note a travel agent fee may apply (approx $75.00).

Contact HARI to Register

We are the Canadian National Organizer: email: hari@rchagen.com.
Use this form to register via Canada.

Save now! Early Bird Registration is until March 1^st,  2018!

UPDATE Nov 15^th, 2017:

We would like to share with you some urgent booking advice:

It is highly recommended to make your hotel booking as early as possible!

The reason is that the International Parrot Convention will coincide with the island of Tenerife also hosting the Women’s World Basketball Championship, between the 21^st and  30^th September, 2018.

The hotels of Puerto de la Cruz are receiving booking requests from the basketball teams and the organization of the event. We foresee that in less than two months room prices will increase substantially. Furthermore, if any of you have previously attended the convention and would like to reserve the same hotel/room booked in the past you may face a non-availability situation if you choose to wait to book.
The main hotels recommended by the International Parrot Convention in Puerto de la Cruz are:

• Hotel Botánico (reservation form – email a copy of the reservation to hari@rchagen.com – we do not need your billing information).
• Maritim Hotel (special conditions) – note special reservation prices for this hotel will end at the beginning of December 2017.
• Turquesa Hotel
• Diamante Suites Hotel

VIII International Parrot Convention 2014

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World Parrot Trust Auctioning the Artwork of Chris Maynard of Featherfolio

How would you like to own an original masterpiece and support parrot conservation at the same time? On September 23, 2017 you’ll have a chance to bid on one of many unique feather sculptures and artist-signed prints.

About the Auction

The World Parrot Trust is teaming up with artist Chris Maynard of Featherfolio for a one-of-a-kind fundraiser – an auction of wildlife art supporting parrot conservation. Chris combines his scientific knowledge, artistic sense, and love of feathers into a stunning art form. Skillfully crafted from naturally-molted parrot feathers, these remarkable pieces need to be seen to be believed! His art is found in museums and collections around the world. A portion of the proceeds from this auction will support conservation efforts currently underway in Costa Rica at WPT partner The Ara Project to protect and restore populations of Scarlet and Great Green Macaws.

About The ARA Project

Launched in 1982, the Ara Project is dedicated to saving Costa Rica’s parrots who are facing the threat of extinction. Their efforts so far have mostly been towards saving the two native Macaws: the endangered Great- green Macaw (Ara ambiguus) and the Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao). But with the shocking results following recent studies on the native Yellow-naped Amazon parrot (Amazona auropalliata), The Ara Project will soon be expanding its work. All three species have been heavily impacted by human pressures including unsustainable capture for the wild bird trade, hunting and habitat loss, and their populations have been significantly reduced. They are still at risk in the wild, and are in urgent need of help.

The vision of The Ara Project’s efforts is to have thriving parrot populations in healthy, protected ecosystems, across their former range in Costa Rica. Up to 2016 most of the organisations’ work has been to reintroduce Macaws at strategic points located between areas where wild populations occur. As they will continue to release and monitor Macaws at their two most successful release sites, Punta Islita (Scarlet Macaw) and Manzanillo (Great- green Macaw), they are currently expanding their efforts. Emphasizing on strategic collaborations between key-partners across the country, the organisation is now implementing targeted conservation management of the wild population, ultimately working towards a species recovery plan.

Don’t miss your chance to own a unique piece of feather art!

Go online to view a list of the items up for auction, and REGISTER TO BE NOTIFIED when the Auction begins.

HARI Conservation efforts with The Ara Project

Trip in 2013:  The ARA Project – Saving the Great Green Macaw

Updated trip in 2015:

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For Avian Enthusiasts, Aviculturists, Avian Veterinarian Technicians and Pet Retailers!

Back by popular demand and with the spirit of sharing avian educational topics, the Hagen Group and HARI, with the Parrot Place Network, are pleased to announce an exciting HARI One Day Avian Education Seminar for all avian enthusiast, veterinarian technicians, retailers, and aviculturists to be held at the Holiday Inn Grand Rapids-Downtown on Saturday, September 23, 2017 from 8:00 am to 4:00 p.m. EDT.

Not sure what to expect?

Join us for an exciting learning experience that will increase your knowledge of vital avian topics as well as HARI and its mission.

“Normally when attending a bird seminar, I am the teacher. Of the HARI conferences I’ve attended, I am the student.”-Jean Pattison, African Queen Aviaries

Speakers will include:

• Joseé Bermingham, CVT, HARI Facility Manager
• Melanie Allen, Avian Product Specialist
• Susan Ungrey, C.A.S., Parrot Place National Director

Discussions:

• Early Parrot Education
• Hagen Avicultural Research Institute (HARI)
• First Aid for Birds in Retail Stores and Aviaries
• Pet Products and the Retailer
• Nursery Management for Retailers and Aviculturists
• Parrot Diet and Nutrition
• Managing the Hormonal Moments with Pet Birds

Early Bird Special $40.00/ After September 15th $55.00

Holiday Inn Grand Rapids-Downtown
310 Pearl St. NW
Grand Rapids, MI
49505
Saturday, September 23, 2017 – 8am to 4pm; Lunch included!

Join Us! Download the regestration form and conference agenda

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To recognize her work and efforts in avian care, Mark Hagen, Director of the Hagen Avicultural Research Institute (hari.ca), is giving Dr. McDonald a reprint (#42 of 50 copies made) of Dr Anton Reichenow’s book Vogelbilder aus Fernen Zonen: Abbildungen und Beschreibungen der Papageien, as-well-as 33 frameable acid-free reprints of the original hand-drawn parrot illustrations (illustrated by Gustav Mützel, 1839–1893).

Dr Anton Reichenow (1847-1941), a German zoologist and ornithologist who specialized in African birds. Reichenow, who made major contributions to ornithology during a very active 50-year career, travelled extensively to exotic places and discovered many new species. He has seven bird species named after him. The original book includes 33 hand-drawn family portraits of many parrot species. The detailed colour renditions were drawn by wildlife artist Gustav Mützel.

First published in 1878, there are not many original copies left. Mark had 50 copies reprinted and have been given out to parrot conservation groups and Veterinarians for their dedication to parrots.

To help the WPR birds visit: Donate to help WPR birds.

Original news release.

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On behalf of the Hagen Family Foundation / Fondation De La Famille Hagen, Mark Hagen presented Le Nichoir with a sponsorship donation for their newly hired Summer Educator Kirstin Lachance. Kirstin Lachance is currently studying Environmental and Wildlife management at Vanier College.

Le Nichoir is committed to educating the public about wild birds and promoting ways to co-exists with them. The Summer Educator role involves developing and providing interactive learning materials and facility/aviary tours for both adults and youth at the Center. Having a student, such as Kirstin dedicated to the visitor experience will ensure that visitors will leave the Center knowing more about birds than when they arrived!

The Foundation has been a long-time supporter of Le Nichoir. The Foundation’s sponsorship in 2016 of the Feather Friendly^® Bird collision deterrent technology was a huge success. We are pleased to know that not a single bird has collided with these protected windows despite their size and proximity to trees.

To learn more about Le Nichoir or how you can get involved visit www.lenichoir.org. Kirstin will be participating in Le Nichoir’s Annual Open House on July 22, be sure to stop by and say hello!

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This year’s National Animal Welfare Conference was held in Ottawa, Canada. Josee Bermingham and Mark Hagen attended. The main Sponsor was again PetSmart Canada and Nutrience Pet food (manufactured by Hagen) sponsored the key note address by David Suzuki. Mark Hagen has been making donations to the David Suzuki Foundation for many years. This Conference, which is held every year in a different Canadian city, is organized by the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies who celebrated their 60^th year and has sessions on a wide variety of Animal welfare topics given by veterinarians, professors and scientists. While some talks have a so-called animal rights slant, the Conference is generally fairly balanced and is a great opportunity to network with others who do care about not just pets but also farm, lab and wild animals. Rumours are the next one will be in Calgary spring 2018.

image: Mark Hagen with David Suzuki

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Over thirty students enrolled in the Animal Health Technology program at Vanier College in Montreal, Quebec had the opportunity to visit our three facilities – Rolf C. Hagen, Inc. (head office), HARI (Hagen Avicultural Research Institute), and Hagen Industries (manufacturing plant). This educational initiative is part of HARI’s long-time involvement with teaching animal care to students enrolled in Vanier’s AHT 3-year degree program.

Vanier’s AHT curriculum is accredited by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC), as well as other associations. Graduates of the program go on to fulfilling careers in places such as veterinary clinics, diagnostic labs, research facilities, and pharmaceutical companies or pursue further university studies in veterinary medicine.

The HARI team has been engaged for many years in the AHT program at Vanier, both with lectures and workshops (wet labs). They bring parrots from their retired colony of birds so that students can practice and learn to recognize healthy birds and various physical and medical conditions usually associated with all life stages.

The Visit

Hagen Industires

The day started with the students touring the Hagen Industries manufacturing and distribution plant. They were able to see firsthand the production (with our state of the art extruder for micro-nutrient diets) , stringent 3-step quality control, and research & development that goes into producing & shipping premium pet products such as Tropican and Tropimix.

Hagen Head Office

Then on to head office for some lunch and a nutrition seminar presented by HARI Director and Brand Manager Mark Hagen. Mark touched on a wide variety of topics: the parrot trade and importation, true conservation, habitat preservation, wild caught parrot embargoes, Avian nutrition and care, as well as full spectrum lighting setups for indoor aviary breeding.

Mark also spoke about dog and cat nutrition and the benefits of feeding foods which are higher in protein (which means you can feed less) and that use human grade level ingredients (ensuring optimal nutrition). He introduced the students to the new dog and cat Subzero food formulations by Nutrience; a Canadian made blend of protein-rich grain-free kibble with NUTRIBOOST TM (freeze dried raw meat proteins).

After the seminar the students were invited to select from various pet products (Nutrience Brand dog and cat foods & treats, Tropimix, Tropican bird foods and Prime supplements for birds, and Living World extruded rabbit and guinea pig foods) to take home.

HARI Facility

The students then boarded the bus for a short trip down the highway to the HARI facility. HARI facility manager Josee Bermingham (herself a graduate of the AHT program at Vanier) was there to welcome them and give them the tour. Students visited the indoor winter installations (as many of the birds have already been moved inside), the nurseries (where they saw fledglings still being educated with early parrot education program), the Macaw outdoor and indoor flights, as-well-as the reptile and small animal rooms (several years ago HARI added an exotic and small animal focus to the research center).

Most importantly, the visit to the HARI facility meant the students could directly observe the third step in Hagen’s/HARIs longevity research and quality control process – the feeding trials of multi-generational captive bred birds, reptiles and small animals fed exclusively extruded diets made by Hagen Industries.

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