Greetings, all –
I wanted to reach out to the community for some advice and would be grateful for any suggestions you may have. First, some background. (This is fairly complicated, but please bear with me.) I am taking a new job with a UN organization in Geneva and will be moving from Michigan to Switzerland in October, with my partner following in December. We will be moving along with our three cats and our beautiful Grey, Olive. It is going to be a challenge to find housing in Geneva for *all* of us, but we're committed to making this happen. We'll be abroad for at least the medium term (3-5 years). My request for advice is actually not Grey-related, but, rather, in regard to our 2 yr old Sun Conure, Jackson, who we will not be able to move over with us… at least not this autumn. Jackson is a wonderful little guy, but despite a lot work over the past 2 years, has not relinquished the dramatic screaming that suns are known for. He's not the most social fellow with human kind (as compared to our Grey, obviously, but also as compared to other Suns I've known). He's not a biter, nor is he terribly timid, he just doesn't enjoy human attention the way some conures do. Jackson's screaming is not limited to the morning/evening sessions, but generally occurs often during the day. If I could be assured that we could find a small detached house near Geneva, we would be taking Jackson with us without question. The chances of securing such accommodations, though, are extremely slim – at least in the short term. For now, I simply can't risk putting my Grey and my cats' security at risk because of neighbors annoyance with Jackson's screaming.
Now, my request for advice: I am interested in knowing whether any of you are familiar with facilities with long-term fostering programs in the U.S. I've learned of one facility in Denver, specifically, called The Gabriel Foundation, who cares for birds on a semi-permanent basis for an annual fee. Are you familiar with this group? Ideally, I am looking for a facility that can care for Jackson in an interactive environment where he can socialize with people and other conures, and one that can care for him for a prolonged period for a monthly or annual fee. Ultimately, we would hope to be able to provide a stable home for Jackson again in the future, but I don't know whether the "future" will be 6 months from now or 6 years. We would, of course, cover the cost of transporting Jackson, the costs of his care, and the costs of transporting him back to us when we are able. We need to find a group that could be committed to working with us and committed to working with Jackson.
While these are difficult circumstances, I am committed to providing for Jackson's care for as long as it takes. Any advice or leads to appropriate sanctuaries/facilities you may have would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks,
Jason