The emu is a large flightless bird from Australia. A member of the ratite family, the emu is the second largest bird in the world, following in size to the ostrich. Brought over to the United States and bred by those hoping to profit from the sale of its flesh, emus are increasingly becoming the victims of abuse and abandonment as their economic prospects decline as a result of the American distaste for emu meat.

The following newspaper reports tell about HFA's rescue operations of maltreated and abandoned emus.

Anyone interested in helping financially or to find out more information about HFA, please email us directly.

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The Willows Journal
Rescued Emus Move to Glenn County

By Rich Wetzel
Staff Writer

Within the past week, Glenn county's population has increased by approximately 600. After last week's roundup of starving emus in Tehama County, the Elk Creek area can now boast of what may be the largest protected group of the flightless birds anywhere.

The Humane Farming Association (HFA) recently acquired over seven square miles between Elk Creek and Stonyford. Founded in 1985, they are the largest farm animal rescue association in the country with over 160,000 members, and they have the largest animal rescue facility in the nation.

HFA is the only national farm animal protection organization with a shelter that has never turned away farm animals seized as a result of a cruelty case. The refuge has no elaborate amenities for visitors - they are in the business of saving the lives of farm animals subjected to cruelty. Funding for HFA comes from member donations and contributions from the general public.

Bradley Miller, National Director for HFA, said the group recently saved 80 emus in Texas which are now at the Elk Creek refuge. "Twenty-two emus were beaten to death with baseball bats," said Miller. "People in that community raised the money to send the survivors to us here."

Miller said the emus from Corning were crowded into small pens and five were found dead. Animal cruelty charges are expected to be filed in Tehama County. "Emus are a fairly hardy animal but have never adapted well to confinement. We have given them all vitamins and electrolytes to aid in recovery. There is a commercial ratite mixture available and they will also eat natural grasses and insects," he said.

Miller believes the vast majority of the birds will survive the Corning trauma and "some may outlive me."

Miller and his volunteers at the refuge have been extremely busy building fences, erecting covered feeding stations, and transporting the birds from Corning. The birds are separated according to age; about a dozen born May 25 are inside with heat lamps; "teenagers" and adults are separated also. "We can use help, especially now - there's still a lot to do," said Miller. The HFA refuge also cares for many other animals like cows, pigs, goats, and sheep.

The emu is the world's second largest bird and was, a few years ago, thought to be the next big thing in the meat market trade. That idea has taken a nosedive leaving thousands of animals literally standing around since they are flightless. The call to Tehama County Animal Regulation indicated the same problem... "Needless to say, we never expected to have this many emus," said Miller with a smile. Anyone interested in volunteering at the refuge or in the HFA adoption procedures may call (415)485-1495.

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The Corning Observer
600 Rescued Emus from Emu Farm Largest Case in the Nation

By Michael Griffin
Editor

A quiet Corning farm was the scene yesterday of the largest emu rescue operation in the nation. During a two-day round up of more than 600 emus that had been left to starve - until the county intervened - local and area animal control officers waved, herded and wrestled the large flightless birds into one of several trailers backed up against a pen.

Usually only one bird at a time could be placed into a trailer due to the physical challenge where the adult emus stood eye to eye with officers. Officers came from Corning, Red Bluff, Tehama and El Dorado counties, as well as HFA volunteers. All the 600 young and adult emus will be trucked south to Elk Creek, Glenn Countv where they should live for the rest of their lives - an estimated 30 years.

The Humane Farming Association (HFA) has agreed to care for them, according to National Director Bradley Miller yesterday.

"We're seeing widespread problems in the emu industry. The market tanked," Miller said. "With an estimated 600 in this operation, it's the largest." "We expect animal cruelty charges to be filed," he said. "Our policy is to never turn animals away [which have been seized in an animal cruelty case]."

The local emus will join emus from Texas that survived abuse several months ago. In the Texas incident, Miller explained that the emu owners "took their frustration out on" emus, killing 22 with baseball bats. "We're seeing this as a national problem. This [Tehama County case] is the largest nationally. If animal regulation hadn't stepped in, we would have seen losses in the hundreds,"said Miller.

About a month ago, the county received a phone call saying that emu caretakers couldn't afford to feed them nor the owners, Shawn International, according to Tehama County Animal Regulation Officer Loren Kemper. The property from where the emus were removed is owned by Ted Grissom, who was previously in business as 3'T's Emu Ranch. Grissom could not be reached for comment yesterday and the 3'T's phone number was disconnected.

Emus have been taken from another Corning location on Carona Avenue. Kemper said that Grissom does not own that property. During the discovery of the emus, Kemper said that five were dead. As a result, he plans to file a report for neglect and send it to the district attorney's office. "The fact that HFA will take them is a godsend," Kemper said. Miller could only speculate at the cost of caring for the emus for nearly three decades. "When we approach this we can't look at the financial bottom line -- only the bottom line in terms of saving lives," Miller said.