A question about rescues

[weco]

Have you checked any of these:

www.petfinder.com (listed some 400 birds within 500 miles of Chicago)

Or: Birds Available
She's a vet near Kansas City, Julie Burge

 

[veimar]

*Never mind I found the Villa Park by searching that name. It looks like they want a home visit too, I guess I'd have to call them and see if they'd even drive this far. We're about 4 hours away.

As far as I know both of those rescues require home visit, especially if you are adopting a bigger bird. And no, they won't drive 4 hours, even 2... It's such a hassle to adopt from a rescue, that I've only done CL so far. I adopted 6 birds from CL, and they are all wonderful healthy fids.

 

[Bandespresso]

Perhaps a home visit can be replaced with a Skype visit?
Maybe send them some pictures of Sailor's beautiful enclosure to help sway them? If I were them, I would much rather a parrot go to a good home even if it is a bit far than to stay in my rescue any longer. Good luck!!

 

[Minimaker]

Have you checked any of these:

www.petfinder.com (listed some 400 birds within 500 miles of Chicago)

Or: Birds Available
She's a vet near Kansas City, Julie Burge

Yeah I already asked my husband about traveling that far and he said it would be a challenge because he works 6 days a week. I guess I'll just check craigslist when I feel we're ready and have better experience with Sailor. I know we need to get her all figured out before trying with a new one.

Maybe I'll get lucky. I would just have to keep the new parrot away from the others until it was tested for diseases. And I'll take my husband with me if we answer any ads, I would rather be safe than sorry. He's a big guy, I'm sure we'd be fine.

 

[kalypso123]

As suggested above a skype visit should be suffiecent. The one rescue I can find in FL will do this if there isnt a foster or adminstrator near you. I have been thinking of adopting my next bird. The only problem is most of the birds are listed in central to south FL and I live in north FL. I still might though. Craigslist is an option but I would be careful. I would call before so I can hear the person and I would meet them in a place such as a park or a parking lot, Good luck

 

[Hawk]

I'm interested in the idea of adopting a rescue in about a year, but I have no idea if it's even feasible for me because of my location. I only encountered two in my state when I went looked for them online, one I emailed and got no response. Their websites seem a little unfriendly, or maybe it's just me. There are a lot of rules and conditions. When my email inquiry went unanswered I backed off the idea and bought a baby thinking I would have less behavioral problems anyway. That really didn't happen for us. We're working with our greenwing, and we're trying to get to touch her and interact with her without her going into attack mode. It's only been a little over a month, so we still have work to do with her obviously. We're progressing, we're just starting to get to pet her back without her turning on us but she's still unhappy about being touched. She does step up about 85% of the time without trying to bite us but she's still really unsure about it.

I want a blue and gold at some point, and I figure if there is no guarantee of getting a well tamed parrot as a baby I might as well try to get one that needs a new home instead and do the taming work with that one. But how is the question. How do you adopt if you live in an area that doesn't have much available? Who's going to drive here for a home visit when I'm many hours away? I think Sailor would really be much more happy if she had a companion bird to interact with and my tiny conure is not an option.

What do you guys with experience in this think, am I sunk and I have no shot of helping a rescue bird? Am I pretty much stuck needing to order a baby instead? The thought of an older bird who needs a good home appeals to me. I think we are a decent home, we really try to take good care of our birds. Fresh food every day (and hey they are actually starting to eat it!) good quality pellets, goldenfeast blends, lots of treats, toys, and anything I can think of for their comfort. I just ordered the Feathered Faire cookbook. I have a pan of banana nut/veggie birdie bread in my oven right now. I would love to take good care of some bird who needs it but I don't see how to go about it when we're ready. Any ideas on what to do?

Hi Mini,
Not sure what part of Illinois your in, I used to live in Villa park area years ago...Now over here in Michigan. There are at least if not more,400 rescue birds in Michigan.... All species too..... What are you looking for in a bird, what kind? Right now I know 2 very lovely birds that need homes, they are Avian Vet owned, and very thoroughly check, he has many others at his store. One very well natured bird is an 8 year old Congo African grey, very nice bird. Another is a yellow headed amazon, which is about 7, and is one very nice bird. Well mannered, sings row row row your boat, and talks up a storm. He won't take to just anybody, but wants me to take him home....personally I think that yellow headed is in love with my Blue fronted...ha ha ha....

Also have a very nice male Ekkie there as well, 4 macaws ( one red, rest blue gold) Also have a Han's Macaw ( they are a miniature macaw) Lovely bird. A Major Mitchell, 2 Umbrella's...and a few others that are basically in need of human interaction.

 

[Hawk]

This is an example of a rescue group located in my state:
Adoption Process

Seriously, from having read this I feel afraid to even try. They sound a little angry/confrontational. I contacted them through email and got no reply. I guess craigslist is my best option. Maybe my only one when it comes to rehomed/rescued parrots. I wonder if anyone would agree to meet at a public place instead of a home. Would it be weird to ask them that?

Here's another, they specify no cats at the bottom. Some say no dogs. I have both:
Parrot Adoption and Rescue HAPPE Parrots Rescue Illinois IL

Hmmm.....in a previous post, I put down that a vet owned many of these returned and rehome parrots....( prefers to call them that instead of rescues) but their is no adoption process, must love birds, and have a true desire to care for them properly...because some of them are 100 % checked ( Avian Vet {the owner} in full spectrum check up ) he dose charge for the bird...many cases the cage comes with. I got Poppie ( My BFA) from there 3 years ago with large 700 dollar cage for $600. Like buying the cage and getting bird free.

I have 3 dogs, my birds walk right by them all the time. Sometimes My grey will fly to the dog bed and pester the dog.

 

[Bartleby]

Since you know it's going to be a while before you're ready to take on a rescue I would suggest you get more involved in the avian community.

Since there is apparently nothing physically close get involved online. Join FB groups (tons of great ones for toy making, nutrition, aviary design, etc) seek out other forums, be active, be friendly, share, learn, explore. When the time comes make it known you're interested and people will come out of the woodwork with dynamite birds needing placement.

Once I got involved online and demonstrated the type of home I would be I have been offered literally dozens of birds who have no issues. They aren't being rehomed through any fault of their own, just unfortunate family circumstances, death, divorce, medical issues, etc. They also are not advertised, nor would they wind up in rescue. Instead they are carefully placed through the community grapevine.

Right now I know of at least 5 amazing B&Gs needing placement who are stunningly wonderful pets and who will transfer beautifully. If someone has demonstrated their qualities I would happily make a referral, but that requires that the person has put themselves out there.

 

[Dopey]

Bartleby - where are you located?

 

[Flboy]

Avian Connection - Classified Ads and Listings for parrots and other birds for sale, wanted or for trade and a directory of bird breeders and pet shops.
They have quite a list, not just breeders.

 

[Puck]

I feel as if avian rescues should focus less on things like literal home visits and simply schedule people for interviews. From there it should be relatively easy to tell when you have a really good possible owner (from their knowledge of handling and caring for birds) as opposed to a scam artist looking to scam a person by turning the bird online for a profit. I am totally for fair adoption fees, but you are right that the rescue you linked to just seems mean! I am with Mark on meeting the individuals and offering training rather than having a set of arbitrary rules. I think those kind of rules are better suited to dog or cat adoptions where pretty much everyone knows how to care for the animal and the rescue just needing to make sure the people have enough space for the kind of dog (ex: have a yard for Italian Greyhounds, who love to run). Good luck on your search! I would just check CL once a week if I were you and maybe a B&G will show up and let you know it's time to go for it. And like someone else said, you can always meet up in public!

 

[Birdman666]

I have a funny story about that...

One of the rescues I used to volunteer at, and practically ran the joint for about five years, well, there was a lot of turnover, and a lot of petty political behind the scenes stuff going on, and I was pretty fed up with the whole thing...

So I left...

Years later, I went back... thinking about dipping my toe back in the water.

They didn't even remember who I was!

The person there wanted to make me take a class... (the one with the curriculum that I WROTE... that I spent five years teaching...) When I pointed that out to the completely AR person I was talking to, she said rather abruptly, that she was not going to argue with me about it... and that she really didn't think I was a suitable candidate to be a foster parront...

It seems I have an attitude problem!

Like that's news, eh?!

They still use my training classes, and a lot of my training protocols to this day... so I feel like my work goes on, and I'm still doing good things, and reaching people, even in abstentia. I don't care about praise or credit. And I wasn't trying to make money off it. Some of those birds were close friends of mine... They brought me joy. I just wanted them to be happy again. When it was about that, I loved it...

When it became about petty BS, and the man's inhumanity to these beautiful creatures piled up to the point where I just didn't want to deal with it anymore, I walked away.

This was my lesson that walking away, when I did, was the right move for me.

I got 11 beautiful birds out of my time in parrot rescue. Fostered dozens of others, and got to work with about 350, that I didn't have to pay to feed or house... so overall, it was a wonderful experience that taught me most of what I know about them today.

 

[Hawk]

I'm interested in the idea of adopting a rescue in about a year, but I have no idea if it's even feasible for me because of my location. I only encountered two in my state when I went looked for them online, one I emailed and got no response. Their websites seem a little unfriendly, or maybe it's just me. There are a lot of rules and conditions. When my email inquiry went unanswered I backed off the idea and bought a baby thinking I would have less behavioral problems anyway. That really didn't happen for us. We're working with our greenwing, and we're trying to get to touch her and interact with her without her going into attack mode. It's only been a little over a month, so we still have work to do with her obviously. We're progressing, we're just starting to get to pet her back without her turning on us but she's still unhappy about being touched. She does step up about 85% of the time without trying to bite us but she's still really unsure about it.

I want a blue and gold at some point, and I figure if there is no guarantee of getting a well tamed parrot as a baby I might as well try to get one that needs a new home instead and do the taming work with that one. But how is the question. How do you adopt if you live in an area that doesn't have much available? Who's going to drive here for a home visit when I'm many hours away? I think Sailor would really be much more happy if she had a companion bird to interact with and my tiny conure is not an option.

What do you guys with experience in this think, am I sunk and I have no shot of helping a rescue bird? Am I pretty much stuck needing to order a baby instead? The thought of an older bird who needs a good home appeals to me. I think we are a decent home, we really try to take good care of our birds. Fresh food every day (and hey they are actually starting to eat it!) good quality pellets, goldenfeast blends, lots of treats, toys, and anything I can think of for their comfort. I just ordered the Feathered Faire cookbook. I have a pan of banana nut/veggie birdie bread in my oven right now. I would love to take good care of some bird who needs it but I don't see how to go about it when we're ready. Any ideas on what to do?

Hi Tara,

This is the Blue-Gold with the crooked beak....she's 19, and quite a lovely bird named "BeBe"....Been at the rescue/store for a while...seems noo one wants a crooked beaked bird. But She's become the mascot now for the store.....Also there is a Han's Macaw there that's not much bigger than a ring neck parrot. Quite a talker.

All other Macaws and birds have found homes- 28 found new homes in March alone...record month!!!!!!

Still have a couple beautiful Too's, a male ekkie, a 9 year old congo, a pair of barbets....

 

[Birdman666]

That B&G's beak isn't that bad.

Sally's got a slight scissors beak as well, and her beak is worse than that!

Doesn't change their personalities one bit. To me it's just a grooming issue.

 

[Christinenc2000]

Hawk if I lived closer that Macaw would have a forever home. What a sweet face !

 

[Hawk]

That B&G's beak isn't that bad.

Sally's got a slight scissors beak as well, and her beak is worse than that!

Doesn't change their personalities one bit. To me it's just a grooming issue.

Your right....it's not bad at all, myself I can look beyond that, it's the personality of the bird, and this one is just one big cuddle bunny.
Has quite a rough life apparently. First owners had a baby and were scared the parrot would harm it...so they got rid of it....second owner became wheel-chair bound from an accident and could no longer care for it.
And as sad as it was, had to make the choice to give it up. So BeBe has been there for a couple years now at least...took her a while to get over the grieving period....but is a doll now.

 

[Hawk]

Hawk if I lived closer that Macaw would have a forever home. What a sweet face !

Mark is an Avian Vet and owner of the Avian store/rescue....was rated as the top 10 best avian store in America....by Bird talk magazine I think around 2008-2010, not sure the exact year. Anyway...He has been known to arrange delivery....to an extent....as he is reserved about a bird spending too much time thru travel (flying) as it's hard on a bird.

But it can be arranged..... There's going to be 2 new baby Blue and golds coming in.....Marks (the Avian Vet) pair had some babies...and they are cute little things.

There is a 2 year old red macaw also coming in apparently being given up.

 

[Christinenc2000]

@ Minimaker there ya go seems like a lot of options are opened up for you

@ Hawk can you PM me the web site if they have one. Or list here Thanks I only have one Fid and have been thinking of getting another one just not really looked. Might be a dumb way to look at things but I figured a rescue would always fine me

 

[Minimaker]

Yeah you're right about that. I better start thinking of building another enclosure soon. It takes some time so I better get on it. I don't have room for another big one though. I can do a regular macaw-sized cage one. I'm just not a big fan of cages, I find them harder to keep neat and clean. Cleaning Sailor's enclosure takes me no time at all, I can broom/dustpan the mess up and wet wipe the stuck poo. It's too easy and quick. Tazzy's cage looks messier and he's just a tiny thing.

Mark how do you care for a bird with a crooked beak? Does it mean regular trips to the vet for grooming?

 

[RavensGryf]

Cleaning Sailor's enclosure takes me no time at all, I can broom/dustpan the mess up and wet wipe the stuck poo. It's too easy and quick. Tazzy's cage looks messier and he's just a tiny thing.

That's so nice that you have the enclosure... I can see where although much bigger than a cage it would be easier to clean.