No, this is not a step-by-step adoption procedure manual. The purpose
is to give you an idea of the type of person we want to adopt our
birds.
There is a very good reason why "EDUCATION" is placed before
"ADOPTION" in our name. We see so many of our birds coming
from homes where people have no idea how to care for them. They have
existed on all seed diets and have lived in undersized cages void
of toys. Even though the owners had good intentions, no one told them
that birds are intelligent creatures who thrive on a good diet, lots
of interaction with their humans and a stimulating cage filled with
toys.
Humans have been keeping birds as pets for hundreds of years, however,
studies in aviculture are only as recent as 15 - 20 years old. There
is so much to learn. In the past, it was thought that birds needed
to eat only seed and should be chained to their perch. It was also
believed that a bird's tongue had to be split in order to get it to
talk. We have really come quite a long way in our thinking in the
past decade or two.
At the beginning of our adoption application, it states, "bird
ownership is a serious responsibility". The policy of Parrot
Education & Adoption Center is to assure that each person who
adopts a bird is aware of this responsibility and that they are morally,
financially and physically capable of accepting it. More so than with
most pets, it is very true that not everyone who wishes to own an
exotic bird should own an exotic bird. We meet all kinds of people
interested in birds. A lot of the people we meet will eventually be
adopting a bird from us. Bird ownership is a lifetime commitment.
Birds are very long-lived creatures. This is not a relationship to
be entered into lightly. We want marriages made in heaven, not ending
in divorce a couple of years (or months) down the line. Likewise,
potential adopters need to take their time, get to know the birds
and most importantly, learn everything they possibly can about them.
These are the type of people we want to adopt our birds.
Some people want to know how to speed up the adoption process. We're
interested in slowing it down. Some people tell me that they've had
birds all their lives, so they probably don't need to attend the seminars.
These are the people that probably do need to attend the seminars.
I read everything I possibly can about parrots. And most of the members
that attend our seminars on a regular basis subscribe to bird publications.
Attending the seminars is not only a good way to meet other people
who are interested in birds, but it allows us to get to know you and
you to get to know us. Most people come away from each seminar with
an additional piece of knowledge that they didn't have before attending.
Even people who have attended the seminar previously say that they
learn something new each time. We encourage audience participation
at our seminars, and because of this, I usually learn something too.
We don't sell birds. We receive no monetary gain in the adoption
process. Therefore, we feel we can be particularly choosy in the selection
process. We have promised the people who donated their birds to us
that they will go to a good home. They trust that we will carry out
our promise and we are committed to do so.
One of the best known parrot breeders in the country told me that
she had started screening her clients for their potential bird ownership
qualities before selling to them. And she wouldn't sell to anyone
unless she felt comfortable with them. This woman makes her living
in the world of aviculture. Why should we do any less?
We currently do not have enough birds for each applicant. So, the
additional screening process takes place at our seminars. One man
traveled 200 miles 3 months in a row to attend our seminars. Since
he could have gone to a store near him to purchase a bird, he showed
that he obviously had an interest in learning. This is the type of
person that we want to adopt our birds.
A lot of members attend the seminars just for the educational value
of them. They have no plans to adopt, they're not there just to get
a free bird, they genuinely want to increase their knowledge of bird
care. These are the types of people we want to adopt our birds (even
though they're not attending/intending to adopt a bird).
We recently met a couple who love birds, but said they travel too
much to adopt a bird. They didn't want to leave the bird alone so
often. They recognized the commitment it takes to have a parrot in
their life. We're hoping they decide to settle down soon, because
these are the types of people we want to adopt our birds.
We match people to the birds. If your lifestyle is not suited to
a bird that you are interested in adopting, that bird will go to someone
else. In order for us to feel comfortable adopting to you, we must
get to know you. This doesn't mean that we need to be best friends.
We don't need to talk on the phone daily or get together socially.
We get to know you through our seminars.
In summary, I want to say, we won't adopt a bird to you unless we
feel comfortable with you. And the best way for us to feel comfortable
is to show us that you are genuinely interested in educating yourself
on proper bird care. And the best way to do that is by attending our
seminars, even the ones not required for adoption. We realize that
most people are busy nowadays. But, it's possible that if you're too
busy to attend an 1-1/2 hour seminar once a month, you may be too
busy to have a parrot in your life anyway. May we recommend finches?
Further inquiries about adoption can be directed to our Adoption
Coordinator:
