Evaluating Avian Rescue Facilities
As parrots have gotten more popular, we've seen an increase in the number of exotic bird rescue, placement, and sanctuary facilities (which I'll just call "rescues" in this article) in the U.S., Canada, and overseas.
It can be difficult to evaluate a rescue if you're looking to surrender a bird, adopt a bird, or volunteer, especially since sometimes our only tool is a website. While there are many upstanding and reputable rescues, there are also plenty of rescues who are either scam artists, or who have gotten in way over their heads and are cutting corners.
Good avian rescue organizations with the highest standards of care will meet the following criteria:
• The group will either require proof that surrendered birds are in good health (through veterinary reports) or they will provide veterinary testing for birds immediately upon arrival.
• The group will quarantine birds for a time period of generally 30–90 days
• The group will feed the birds in their care a varied, healthy, and fresh diet.
• The facilities that the birds are housed in will be cleaned regularly, and spacious enough to allow them daily exercise, several hours of supervised out-of cage-time and plenty of toys and enrichment activities. If the organization provides lifetime care, it is preferable that they provide free flight aviaries.
• If the group adopts birds out, they will screen potential adopters very carefully to ensure all birds go to loving homes where the bird will thrive. The group will follow up with adopters to ensure all adopted birds are thriving, including home visits prior to and after placement. The group should be willing to provide ongoing advice to facilitate a smooth transition.
• The group will care for all birds based on the birds' individual needs and not based on what is most convenient for them, concerning flight, social and intellectual needs, and daily biological rhythms.
• The group will never breed birds or allow birds to be placed into homes where they will be bred. They also do not use birds in their care for profit.
• The group will provide educational resources on the proper care and treatment of birds. The group will provide supportive follow up care to adopters.
• If the group adopts out birds, they will always use legally binding contracts to ensure the bird can be recovered if improper treatment is discovered in the adoptive home.
• Having non-profit status can help you to identify good rescue groups; however, there are many groups without non-profit status that are still good, and having the non-profit status doesn't necessarily mean a group is ethical. If a group is non-profit, request a copy of its financial statement and information on its board of directors.
• The rescue group should have long-range plans to provide consistent, quality care, housing, and staffing.
• Unless the situation is an absolute emergency, the group should try to work with anyone who wants to surrender a bird to solve any problems first before the bird is to be relinquished.
• If the rescue group cannot accept any birds at the time, they should refer people to another reputable rescue group for assistance. Rescue groups should not refuse birds based on their size and species. This could indicate that they may be looking to acquire larger birds simply to sell or adopt them out at higher fees.
• Be very wary of rescue groups that charge near market-value adoption fees for birds. Not all groups charge adoption fees, but those that do often only charge for the cost of veterinary testing and treatment, food, caging, toys, and other necessities. These can easily be documented with receipts.
How to Start a Legitimate Avian Rescue Facility
I've never run a rescue facility, so I'm probably not the best person to give advice on this topic, but I have gathered up some resources on ways to do it right. You can find those on the Mentoring Page.
An excellent course of action is to seek out a successful well-respected avian rescue facility and see how they do it. They may have copies of some of their forms that you can use, with permission, and they may also have information on their various protocols and procedures. One rescue that does this well is Midwest Avian Adoption & Rescue Services, Inc in Minnesota.
Beware
I'm not the bird police, but I've heard some unsettling stories about supposed rescue facilities using their status or name to get free birds and then running a profitable breeding operator, or turning those birds over to breeders. These situations are very sad, because they not only take advantage of heartbroken bird caretakers who believe they are turning their bird over to a legitimate rescue facility, but also because the birds who have had to deal with being uprooted from their families end up in a situation where they are used for profit.
Use the guidelines above to help you as you investigate and evaluate avian rescue facilities. Rescues that are nothing more than scams won't be able to pass those criteria.
