A lot of truth there Jeff. I was raised on a farm, and we had a lot of livestock raised for breeding and slaughter purposes. We had dogs and cats, but they were never allowed in the house and they had a "purpose" on the farm. I had a change of heart when I was living on my own and started letting domestic animals into my home and heart. My parents, however, were very much of the "animals are animals" mentality, though they would have never been intentionally cruel to a pet.
When I got Timber, I had no idea of the bond I would develop with him and how important he would become to me. I am very attached to my cats, but I have to say my bond with Timber is stronger. I can't explain it and didn't understand it before I got him. When I rehomed him, I just expected a pet bird. I did not expect to have much of a "relationship" with him. I just thought he would talk and be amusing and I would feed him and clean his cage. Ha! I do those things, but he certainly rules the roost. However, I had no idea when I got him how it would be. I also had no idea how much time, effort and money he would require.
I think many new bird owners are the same as me, clueless. For some of us it works out and for others it doesn't. I don't like to see any bird or animal shuffled from home to home. However, my view is that most of the birds being rehomed have a shot at being better off. For some, circumstances make it very difficult to keep their bird for whatever reason. For others, the bird is just a living toy and is to be discarded. For those in the last category, I only hope and pray that the person who ends up with the bird is fully committed to giving them a home and care.