Fostering birds awaiting adoption

[Kiwi1224]

Hi everyone - I read through Kevin's thread on the prerequisites for adopting a bird; however, I was wondering if anyone has fostered a bird that is awaiting adoption. I have read through a couple sites and some have the option of adopting with all the lengthy paperwork and home visits. I appreciate the fact that these organizations what to ensure that they are placing the birds with people who are committed to giving the bird the best quality of life.

However, I'm very curious about fostering a bird and I feel I would get the best idea of what is involved by someone who have done it or currently involved in a program. I'm very realistic in the fact that I would have to stick with the smaller parrots since I do not have experience with larger parrots.

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. I had boarded a parrotlet for a little over a month and she was adorable...it was great to see her do new things (she was recently weaned when I got her) and while it was hard to part with her since they sure win your heart quick...she then went to her new loving family and I know she's doing great.

[Ginich]

I have been fostering birds on a regular basis for the last three years. It started during Hurricane Charley in 2004 when Lynda from FWCAS and Debbie from PARROTS rescued over 26 cockatiels from Port Charlotte and Arcadia. At the time, we didn't have a Rescue Room so the tiels were in Lyndas air-conditioned garage in portable cages. When the next hurricane came through, Lynda lost her electric so I picked up eight tiels and brought them home to my guestroom. After quarantine, I fostered 4 of them with 2 different friends and decided to adopt 4 myself. I had tiels in the past but the last had gone to the RB, 5 yrs previous. So Charley, Cha-Cha, Ladybird and Ruby (RB) became my new fids.

Fortunately, I try very hard not to fall in love so I have sucessfully fostered both Tinkerbell, a 14 yr old female IRN, for 2 months, during which she was let out of the cage for the first time in years, given a sunflower free diet and veggies/fruit and had her name changed from Larrybyrd to Tinkerbell. She lives with a Special Needs teacher whom I ocassionally see and get updates from.

Next came Poppi, a young male IRN, who barbered but talked a blue streak! He only stayed a week because my friend came over to see him and immediately fell in love and applied to adopt him!

Then came Shrek, a Quaker and Fiona,a maroon bellied GCC, last Spring. They are both 20 yrs old and were dropped off at the pound with rusty cages and a bag of sunflower seeds because their people were retiring to Mexico. They didn't even tell the shelter workers their names! Anyway, our shelter is not set up for birds so they called FWCAS and Lynda picked them up and asked me to foster them so they wouldn't have to go into the Rescue Room. I tried very hard to find a special home for them together but it didn't happen. They started whistling with my tiels, then came the "Luv you" and "Kissy-Kissy" so finally, I melted, and adopted them in September.

In August, I was asked to foster Chelsea, an Orange Wing Amazon. She was an amazing bird, stepping up from day one. She ate everything and was a very sweet and friendly 6 yr old gal. Did I mention that OWAmazons are one of my dreambirds??? But I have 30 baby fingers in my family right now so no bigs birds for me at this time. A friend of mine told their neighbor who has an M2, sun conure and lovie about Chelsea and they came to visit. It was love at first sight and ,last week, Chelsea went to her forever home. The trick with being a foster mom or dad, is not to fall in love or let them bond with your flock.

I keep telling the birds that they are at Camp BIRDIEBREAD and we are looking for a forever home for them. Shrek and Fiona didn't buy that line-they decided they were part of the flock as soon as I named them and moved them into my office. And they were right!

[whitewing]

Originally Posted by Kiwi1224

Hi everyone - I read through Kevin's thread on the prerequisites for adopting a bird; however, I was wondering if anyone has fostered a bird that is awaiting adoption.

Unless the rescue personnel know you personally, they are not likely to trust you with fostering a bird. The prerequisites for fostering are similar to those for adopting! You are basically adopting the bird but on a temporary basis.

I don't have extensive experience in fostering. I did foster two CAGs, but within months I adopted them! I guess I am not cut out for fostering due to the emotional attachment I made to the birds.

I had them for five years, when they were stolen out of my apartment (along with their cages) that was truly heartbreaking.

Okay so that isn't really relevant. The point is, if you want to foster, unless you have and "inside connection" you will probably be treated just like a person who wanted to outright adopt the birds.

When you foster, either you give the birds their meds daily (if there are health problems) or you work on behavior problems.

Healthy and well-adjusted birds generally do not require "outsiders" to foster. If a bird is healthy and well-adjusted then the rescue doesn't need you.

That is just my experience. Most rescues will not take on so many birds that they need to trust random outsiders (no offense) to help them.

I have no idea how to "break into" the rescue business (and yeah it IS a business) unless you either know someone, or you meet them and they really like you. Your best bet is to start by volunteering at rescues to do things like feeding/changing bowls, and of course cleaning lots of cages.

I hope you get this message becaue BB is NOT cooperating right now... pages refuse to load etc. and I'm not gonna site here all day waiting so I hope you get this. It has seriously been five minutes and I'm still waiting for this post to come through............

[Macaaaw]

My two cents:

Many (not all) rescue and bird resource places are just people looking for free birds they want and farm out or sell what they do not want. It amounts to a "get free birds given to you scam" and make a few bucks on the side selling birds. I call it bird flipping. Remember the old adage, buy low sell high? Now it is get it free and sell it for as much as you can get.

My opinion, if they have a charitable tax number by the IRS they are legit. If they do not, beware.

Contact a pet store, bird breeders, private adds in papers. Go see the birds, give them money, sign nothing (unless it is a visa slip) and take YOUR bird(s) home (forever:)

Do you know signing those adoption papers basically gives them the authority to enter your home 24/7\365, any ole time they feel like it into eternity. What a power trip. The police do not have that much power over your life (yet:)

[Kiwi1224]

I so appreciate the feedback on fostering and adopting. Gini, the pictures of the birds you have fostered as well as your adopted fids are beautiful. whitewing - your message did come through and I appreciate your thoughts. there is a group not far from me that I may go the route of seeing if they need help with feeding, cleaning, etc. I would love to help and maybe that is the best start since I may get too attached. If only people would understand the long term commitment when they bring a bird into their lives. thanks again!

[4HAND]

If you want less red tape let local vets know your ambitions.My neice is a vet tech and people are always abandoning thier birds at the vets office because they cant or wont pay the bill.She's asked me several times to take a bird either temporarily or permanently and I never had to sign anything.
Tena

[Ginich]

A well run 501 c3 rescue, who puts the welfare of the birds first, is an excellent place to find a loving companion that was given up for a variety of reasons or is a "found" fid that no one has claimed. Most bona fide rescuers are not in this business for the money as there is no profit, no salaries and are lucky to break even. However, it must be run like a business and without reliable trained volunteers to help, it would be a daunting task to care for all the rescue birds as well as one's own flock. Naturally, the volunteers who are able to help out become familiar with the different birds, their needs, etc. and can make good foster parronts to fids who are coming out of a single bird home or have special needs that won't endanger their own flock. It is always about the birds.

Another way to become a foster parront, is to be an active member of a local bird club or avian society that sponsors or donates to a Rescue. That gives you more credibility than just good intentions.

Many times there is no "donation" required from the adopter because the expense of vet testing the bird, buying a new cage, toys and supplies is significant for many people, plus ,if they have tolerated filling out a 5 page application and a home visit, we know they are sincere in wanting to give this particular bird a safe forever home and can afford its care. Yes, we want to know if the situation changes and we only schedule a follow up visit because we want to make sure the bird has adjusted well in its new enviornment-not because we want to be invasive- It's about the birds, not your housekeeping or home decor! The Florida West Coast Avian Society, Inc.

[Kiwi1224]

I will phone my vet who has known me for many years and knows how I care for my birds - that may be a good start. thanks for all the advise..I want to take the appropriate steps for I would expect a reputable organization to screen and oversee their volunteers before placing a bird in their care. It's a whole new avenue for me which I will take very slowly and start from the ground up. Thanks!

[birdlady49]

A lot of bird clubs have adoption programs and the birds are fostered until they're adopted. The Denver, Colorado adopt-a-bird program has been around since the late 1980s (it got started under my presidency) and is still going strong. The prerequisites for fostering are a lot looser than the rescue "businesses." All that's required, as far as I know, is being a member of the club in good standing.

The prerequisites for adoption are tighter. You can't join the club and take home a macaw that same night. You have to be a member for one year and attend a certain number of meetings. Even for the little birds, i.e., budgies and cockatiels, you have to be a member for three months before you're eligible. There is a nonrefundable fee, which I think is $50 for a macaw and lower fees for smaller birds. However, if two people put in applications for the same bird and the other person "wins," you lose your money. (It does, however, get donated to rescue organizations.)

What I don't like about the Denver program is if a bird is not adopted within the first month, restrictions go down. In other words, that macaw might become available to a six-month member. That poor little budgie or cockatiel is made available to the general public. Yes, applications and fees are still collected, but .... I don't think they scrutinize the application as closely. They want the birds out of the foster homes and into "permanent" homes. (We can only hope.)

[Monica]

Most of my birds are rehomes.... many would be fosters if for the fact that there were more people in this area interested in little birds and looking to add to the flock... Thus far, I've only been able to rehome two cockatiels (my second tiel, a whiteface split pearl pied), and one from a family of tiels (Kirby, a normal male). I've put some birds up for adoptiong through our local bird club but no one was really interested so they are still here.

I am not a rescue, just a simple person who loves birds, and because of that, birds are occasionally given to me. Certain birds will never leave here, but others, if I could find the appropriate homes for, I'd adopt out. The two tiels that I adopted out I didn't even ask for an adoption fee for them, yet I was still given $20 for one. The first actually went to a bird rescue where he could be with other cockatiels (since he wasn't really human orientated). The second tiel went to a gal who had a male cockatiel and was interested in another male tiel. She already had a cage and supplies, so she had come and picked up Kirby.