Project Perry Updates Emphasize Rescue Priorities and Funding, Limit Winter Visits

Project Perry posted a site update in late February 2026, with site metadata showing activity around February 23, 2026, that added current sanctuary news, rescue policies and visitation guidance while announcing funding and the start of construction on a new large aviary. The message signed "From Matt" states, "This summer we have been able to share some pretty awesome news about the Sanctuary and Its growth including the recent funding and start of construction of a new large aviary."

The Project Perry update also describes a transfer of the sanctuary property from its founder to the organization. The message says, "Through two more years of very generous grants from Bob Barker’s DJ&T Foundation and through our own efforts of good ol' fashioned saving up, we can now announce that on August 22nd, it finally happened!" The same post reports, "Project Perry purchased the property from myself for the remaining amount left on the mortgage note and nothing more (no 'profit' was made in the sale)" and declares, "The birds now own all 27 acres including every structure on it."

Project Perry frames the sale as a move to secure long-term perpetuity. The update says, "No one person is tied financially to the property and there can never be a dispute of ownership or property usage and continuance. It's all outlined clearly that this is to always be a Sanctuary for the birds along with those who have dedicated their lives to caring for them." The message further lists governance steps already taken, noting "a strengthened Board of Directors, a budget for committed live on-site staff members, my own large life insurance policy with Project Perry as the sole beneficiary should something unexpected happen to me."

Local profiles and visitor accounts provide context for operations and public access. A PatPalmerFoundation profile lists Project Perry in Louisa, Virginia and states the sanctuary "has a current parrot population of well over 200" and that Project Perry "is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and sanctuary of parrots living in captivity," offering "exceptional natural environments" and outreach and education staffed by volunteers and paid caregivers.

A first-person account by Jerry Uhlman in BoomerMagazine describes an open house visit in June, when "the 40 or so birds greeted us with loud calls and several 'hellos.'" Uhlman identifies sanctuary director Matt Smith, reporting that Smith "moved to Louisa to be near family and has developed a 15-acre paradise for his charges," and adds that Project Perry is "one of six sanctuaries in North America that are accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries."

The record contains a few discrepancies and gaps. Project Perry's message asserts ownership of "all 27 acres," while the earlier BoomerMagazine profile described a 15-acre paradise; the update does not specify the year of the August 22nd transaction, grant dollar amounts, or the full text of the newly posted rescue policies and visitation guidance. The excerpts do not include the specific visitation rules for winter months or technical details for the "new large aviary," so confirmation of seasonal visit limits, construction timelines and GFAS accreditation status remains outstanding.

Project Perry's February website updates foreground capital expansion and legal steps intended to make the sanctuary permanent, while naming Bob Barker's DJ&T Foundation as a key funder and signaling active changes to visitation and rescue policy as construction begins on the announced aviary.