Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services

What Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services does

Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services (MAARS) is a Minnesota-based nonprofit no-kill parrot sanctuary founded in July 1999 and operating its facility, The Landing, in the Minneapolis/St. Paul (Twin Cities) area. The organization's core service is the rescue, rehabilitation, and permanent sanctuary of captive parrots, supplemented by behavioral consultation and education programs aimed at the general public, current parrot owners, and the veterinary community. Since founding, nearly 1,500 unwanted parrots have come through its doors and more than 1,400 have been placed into permanent homes; over 100 birds reside at the facility on any given day.

MAARS is sustained by nearly 70 unpaid volunteers working twelve shifts per week, a Board of Directors, and a no-kill operational philosophy that distinguishes it from shorter-term rehoming models. Its revenue model is donation-driven (no earned service revenue from adoption fees is disclosed), augmented by a direct-to-consumer e-commerce shop on maars.org that sells parrot-themed merchandise — including original acrylic paintings and prints created through the Parrots Can Paint enrichment program, greeting card packs ($8.95), books, and the 2026 Flock Calendar — with Stripe and PayPal payment processing.

Technically, the organization runs a standard WordPress-based website with a Shopify-style storefront, organic social media presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Reddit, and Threads, and Guidestar-listed nonprofit transparency filings. The underlying technology stack is conventional small-nonprofit infrastructure with no proprietary software, AI/ML components, API, or mobile app. Distribution is single-region (Midwest USA) and the addressable market is the captive parrot owner and avian-welfare donor community.

Name

Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services

Legal name

Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services

Website

https://maars.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

MAARS is a Minnesota-based no-kill nonprofit parrot sanctuary and rescue, founded in 1999, that operates The Landing facility in the Twin Cities for over 100 captive parrots. It funds care through public donations and merchandise sales while delivering education and behavioral consultation to parrot owners and veterinarians.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Avian Rescue and Animal Welfare Services

akta.pro primary industry

Bird Grooming & Boarding (Avian) (HSANAKAB)

Keywords

• Avian rescue services
• Parrot sanctuary
• Captive bird rehabilitation
• Animal welfare nonprofit
• Parrot behavioral consultation

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: MAARS is funded solely through donations from the public. As a nonprofit organization, they rely on charitable contributions to operate their sanctuary and provide care for the birds.
2. Merchandise Sales: The organization sells parrot-themed merchandise including original paintings by the birds, greeting cards, flock calendars, and books. All proceeds from purchases go directly to help support the MAARS birds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

MAARS operates a no-kill parrot sanctuary called The Landing in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area of Minnesota, providing permanent care for over 100 captive parrots daily, rehabilitation and adoption placement for unwanted birds, behavioral consultation for parrot owners, and education programs for the public and veterinary community. The organization supplements its mission through an e-commerce shop selling the unique "Parrots Can Paint!" original artwork, prints, greeting cards, flock calendars, and books, with all proceeds directly supporting the flock's food, toys, and medical care.

Product overview

MAARS (Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services) operates as a no-kill nonprofit parrot sanctuary offering a portfolio of products and services. The core offering is sanctuary and rescue services for captive parrots at their facility 'The Landing' in Minnesota. Supporting this mission, they operate an e-commerce shop featuring the 'Parrots Can Paint!' program—a unique line of original acrylic paintings and prints created by resident parrots using their beaks and feet to hold brushes. Additional products include greeting card packs featuring parrot artwork ($8.95), annual flock calendars, and books. All proceeds from product sales directly support food, toys, and medical supplies for the MAARS flock.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parrots Can Paint! Original Paintings

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1400 birds successfully placed into permanent homes since 1999
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• GuidestarminorOthersMAARS maintains a profile on Guidestar (EIN: 41-1944074), a nonprofit information service that provides transparency and financial information about nonprofit organizations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• World Parrot Trust: International parrot welfare organization funding rescue, education, and conservation programs. Comparable mission in parrot welfare and donor-supported operations.
• The Gabriel Foundation: Colorado-based parrot-specific sanctuary and rescue providing adoption, sanctuary, and education services. Direct peer: same captive-parrot welfare mission, no-kill model, and donation/merchandise funding mix.
• Foster Parrots Ltd. New England-based parrot rescue and sanctuary focused on captive parrot welfare, advocacy, and adoption. Direct peer in parrot-specific rescue operations.
• Oasis Sanctuary Foundation: Large avian sanctuary offering permanent care for parrots and other birds. Comparable in sanctuary scale, long-term resident population, and education programming.
• Phoenix Landing Wellness Foundation: Parrot rescue and sanctuary operating adoption, education, and rehoming services primarily in the Southeast US. Closely comparable scope, mission, and donor-supported model.

Broad incumbents

• The Humane Society of the United States: National animal welfare nonprofit with broad advocacy, rescue, and education mandates. Comparable donation-driven nonprofit structure competing for the same charitable dollars.
• ASPCA: Large, national animal welfare organization running fundraising, education, and rescue programs. Comparable donor-funded nonprofit model but operates across all species, not bird-specific.
• Best Friends Animal Society: National no-kill animal welfare organization with sanctuary operations, donor base, and education programming. Adjacent peer that competes for the same donor dollars at far greater scale.

Others

• GuideStar (Candid): Nonprofit information and transparency platform where MAARS maintains a profile. Ecosystem participant that supports donor research and nonprofit credibility rather than a direct operational peer.
• Kaytee: Major pet and bird product brand selling cages, food, and care supplies. Adjacent commercial peer serving the same captive parrot owner ecosystem through products rather than services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/maarsbirds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maarsbirds

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services