About

I have been interested in both animals and art for about as long as I can remember. Almost two decades ago I began taking in companion parrots in need of a new home. This eventually led to establishing a nonprofit organization in 2011 to help care for the birds. Just prior to the pandemic, I had made the decision to relocate my business to a home studio and close my retail store. I love the freedom working from a home studio gives me and since 2020 have focused on creating mosaics and other handcrafted items, which I sell in my Etsy shop. 
In college I chose to study art, although I was equally interested in animals and briefly considered a career in veterinary medicine. However, I chose to pursue art and graduated with a degree in studio art, a degree in secondary education, and a minor in philosophy. I taught art for four years, before deciding to pursue becoming a full time studio artist, which I did for about ten years, attending outdoor and indoor art fairs selling my original watercolors and mosaics.
In life there are specific moments most of us can point to as pivotal points of change. While attending an art fair, I met someone interested in displaying my work at her business. She boarded pet parrots while people were on vacation. One of my favorite subject matters was painting parrots, mostly because I am attracted to bright colors. Beyond that I knew little of the pet parrot trade. But this meeting was to prove to be just such a pivotal moment. I learned about the breeding and selling of companion parrots, and the related issue of unwanted companion birds. As I walked around her facility, I was both mesmerized by the dazzling beauty of macaws, cockatoos, amazons, and other parrots and dismayed at the sudden realization of the number of parrots that existed in captivity. It just wasn’t something I had given much thought to, but that moment changed the course of my life and shifted my focus to include working with rescue birds.
Now, all these years later, about half my work day is spent taking care of the birds, many of whom have chronic health conditions, due to age and years of living with people who lacked the knowledge or finances to care for them properly. Some have chronic liver or kidney issues, some have arthritis from spending years cooped up in cages with inadequate perches, and some are physically disabled from abuse. Fortunately, my vet, who has helped me for years care for these birds, is just minutes away. I also have dedicated volunteers that help me with their physical and emotional needs. It would be impossible for me to manage the rescue without the help of these volunteers, who over the years have not only become friends, but care for the health and well being of the birds as much as I do.

Sabra Khan, Founder of PRS