The UGLY side of bird rescue (aka when adoption goes HORRIBLY wrong)

[Muse]

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bring-Mealy-Home/553806768074809 THIS LINK NO LONGER ACTIVE

 

I don't know how many are on Facebook, so here is another link:

http://forums.avianavenue.com/index.php?threads%2Fbring-mealy-home.141237%2F#post-2031675

 

They have a petition going. I won't bother with the link as you can find it at either Facebook or the avianavenue.com link. I signed it, for all the good it will do.

 

I have decide Marden's Ark is going to focus on sanctuary and not adoption. Adoption contracts are not taken seriously - the law enforcement really dropped the ball on this one I believe. You think by getting someone to sign a well-written and authored for maximum protection document that you are buying some assurance of good care for the bird. Not! I think I would have left the bird in the car with the husband and dragged that woman out from in front of the car by her hair and beaten her senseless. She CHOKED the bird, pulling her by her HEAD to try to get her back! It's very obvious from not only that fact but from the condition she let that poor bird get into that she doesn't care a bit about it. And now the rescue has to beg and plead and raise funds that will go in some LAWYER'S pockets to save the bird. The whole thing is very, very sad and very frustrating for those in rescue.

 

We want to save as many as we can - but are we really saving them by adopting them out? This just makes me sick. Very very sick.

Edited April 3, 2015 by Muse

[Greywings]

No matter what you do to ensure the safety of any one bird bad things can happen in or out of a home, rescue or sanctuary. Sanctuary is what I spend my time supporting but I have discovered after many years of doing so that not all birds adapt back to being a bird and require more people time than is manageable in a sanctuary situation with so many other birds to care for properly they can languish. Most places that adopt out take great pains to educate, investigate and follow up. What ever decisions we make for the birds affects them for life as most birds are not given much choice in the matter. Success is what all of us aim for but tragedies can happen even the the best of places-a damaged toy or boing, a leg band getting caught, another bird causing injury or death, vandalism, fire, flood, Storm damage and yes dreadful people you can only try to keep them safe and make good choices for them.

This bird has scissor beak which needs regular shaping and perhaps other issues that do not show so readily. We have a Mealy much like that at the sanctuary it came in with advanced fungal and bacterial infections her beak will never be normal but with trims she can eat well. She lost her wings when the circulation to them failed and they had to be surgically removed to save her life. Her feathers are always a mess even though she is in a double Macaw cage. She is happy and loved in Sanctuary care but looks just as bedraggled as the one in the pictures.

Edited August 6, 2014 by Greywings

[kittykittykitty]

So sad. We can do only what we can do. I signed.

[KimKim]

Gosh, I don't know if I want to even click the link I hate seeing sad things...

[murfchck]

Thru a friend I was invited to help with a surrender. This guy loved his birds and it was obvious. Too f-ing bad that the rescue people were only there for themselves. I am very angry about it because this was a good guy who is much older and the primary caretaker was put in the hospital and not expected to be coming back home. This sanctuary saw all the stainless steel cages and I swear busted a gut rushing to get them loaded. Saw the pistachio shells and commented that he shouldn't be spending that money on that, they won't be getting them at the sanctuary blah blah blah. I tried to get her to let me take an amazon but all she saw was dollar signs. Sorry had to vent... did sign the petition though. :-) hope she gets back home soon!

[kittykittykitty]

Another not good outcome.

[Greywings]

Hard to know if that rescue will keep the birds best interest foremost, will hope they do. Hugs Lisa.

[murfchck]

It didn't. One is already missing and had a very bad beak in need of a trim. Just found out today when she was offered help to get it out of a tree, she told this person no, one of 2 things will happen... he will come down to eat or die. I am sick that she got 11 of them. She will not be getting the other 7. 2 I have committed to so that leaves 5......

[Greywings]

Please let me know off board (PM me) what rescue that was so I never steer anyone that way.

[kittykittykitty]

Is there no legal recourse?

[Muse]

Thru a friend I was invited to help with a surrender. This guy loved his birds and it was obvious. Too f-ing bad that the rescue people were only there for themselves. I am very angry about it because this was a good guy who is much older and the primary caretaker was put in the hospital and not expected to be coming back home. This sanctuary saw all the stainless steel cages and I swear busted a gut rushing to get them loaded. Saw the pistachio shells and commented that he shouldn't be spending that money on that, they won't be getting them at the sanctuary blah blah blah. I tried to get her to let me take an amazon but all she saw was dollar signs. Sorry had to vent... did sign the petition though. :-) hope she gets back home soon!

 

I have to agree with you. Many "rescues" pretend to be non-profits but operate just at the edge of being so. I understand what it takes to run a rescue. I understand the need for income. But really, you have to do this with the goal of compassion and that includes for the owners. Sometimes we can help the owners keep their birds. In some cases owners are giving them up simply because they can't take care of them by themselves.

 

We don't charge a fee for surrender. If an owner wishes to donate, they can. Some do, some do not. As I said, unless miracles fall in my lap, I am not going to adopt out birds. This is why we weren't running away from taking the budgies. Many rescues won't take them because their adoption fee won't even cover a few weeks of food, let alone the vet care.

 

So far we have rescued 40 birds but taken in only a few hundred in donations, not even enough to cover the lab work for the budgies. Most of what we do comes out of our own pockets. But I try to do in each situation what is right and fair to all involved. In some cases the owners are just out to dump the birds, but in other cases, they are grieving parronts who are being forced to part with their babies by cruel fate. Then I try to imagine myself in their shoes and do whatever I can to make it easier for them.

 

I don't ever want to have to fight through court to get a bird back from an abusive and neglectful owner. The woman who adopted Mealy seems mentally ill to me. She is now saying she will give Mealy back if they offer her a comparable "cuddly" bird like a Cockatoo or an Amazon. After she neglected Mealy? I hope she *never* is able to get another bird! I think I'd have gone all shades of medieval on her the moment she grabbed the bird by the neck. It shows complete disregard for the bird and that she only sees it as a possession.

[Muse]

It didn't. One is already missing and had a very bad beak in need of a trim. Just found out today when she was offered help to get it out of a tree, she told this person no, one of 2 things will happen... he will come down to eat or die. I am sick that she got 11 of them. She will not be getting the other 7. 2 I have committed to so that leaves 5......

 

There are so many people opening "rescues" that shouldn't even be bird owners. This one definitely sounds like she falls into that category. I'd be interested in knowing also, as I network with a lot of other rescues. That one I definitely want to avoid.

[Muse]

Is there no legal recourse?

 

There is, but birds don't have jobs or lawyers. They are completely dependent on the kindness of others to raise enough money for a lawyer. And even then, that doesn't guarantee justice will be served.

[Timbersmom]

I posted this on your facebook page but I'll say it again here, get signed up for amazon smile! I'll pick Marden's Ark when you do. Just keep us posted.

[Muse]

I posted this on your facebook page but I'll say it again here, get signed up for amazon smile! I'll pick Marden's Ark when you do. Just keep us posted.

 

Unfortunately we found we have to be listed in the Exempt Organization Select Check database, which we are not yet. I called the IRS and they said it can take up to 60 days to get added, and she said the next update is the 2nd Monday in Sept. I will be ALL over getting signed up as soon as I see our EIN come up in the search. We have found that many places will not just 'take your word' that you are a 501©(3) because frankly a lot of these barely or not at all legit 'rescues' lie about it. Amazon does indeed verify the 501©(3) status, and since we aren't listed we can't get signed up until we are. Thanks for letting me know about this! I will be sure to let everyone know when we get signed up.

[Muse]

So, I guess after much back and forth arguing and Facebook drama, Mealy was returned to All Parrot Rescue. I had a couple of friends whom I'd shared the link with tell me they thought both parties were acting childish. The adopter even made a veiled threat on her Facebook page saying something about "If you love something set it free. I heard she can fly" leading people to believe she might turn the parrot out of doors instead of giving her back.

 

I am still thinking that we don't want to go down the adoption road. For me to adopt a bird to someone, they would probably feel like they were going through the Inquisition.

[katana600]

On the Facebook comments, it shows the mental illness on her part to suggest releasing Mealy to sure distress and death over her own inadequacy. Even if it were to irritate, intimidate and cause distress to her perceived detractors, who does that? It's horrible. To perform any good deed in the name of a creature in need imprints on your heart. It's always with the goal of lifting them to a better quality of living. There are going to be all personalities involved. Creating a sanctuary or an adoptive process will change over time based on the needs of the individual parrot brought into your life. Some will thrive in the haven you create. Some will be so human bonded as to need a one on one. I think you have good instincts and will know what to do as you meet the souls who seek you out. Don't give this selfish, defective woman the power over your personal choices. The stories of successful rescue and rehoming are quietly in the background. It's the dysfunctional ones that create drama and seek confrontation and dialog. Miss Gilbert has the language for her, I will try to refrain from repeating after Gil's comments.

[Muse]

On the Facebook comments, it shows the mental illness on her part to suggest releasing Mealy to sure distress and death over her own inadequacy. Even if it were to irritate, intimidate and cause distress to her perceived detractors, who does that? It's horrible. To perform any good deed in the name of a creature in need imprints on your heart. It's always with the goal of lifting them to a better quality of living. There are going to be all personalities involved. Creating a sanctuary or an adoptive process will change over time based on the needs of the individual parrot brought into your life. Some will thrive in the haven you create. Some will be so human bonded as to need a one on one. I think you have good instincts and will know what to do as you meet the souls who seek you out. Don't give this selfish, defective woman the power over your personal choices. The stories of successful rescue and rehoming are quietly in the background. It's the dysfunctional ones that create drama and seek confrontation and dialog. Miss Gilbert has the language for her, I will try to refrain from repeating after Gil's comments.

 

Great points. One friend who seems to have followed the whole thing rather closely commented that both of them (the lady from APR and "Cheri", the adopter) were both acting mentally ill and advised me to steer clear of associating with APR. I didn't follow that closely, so I guess I missed a lot of the drama. That's not a bad thing, really.

 

I am not saying we will *never* adopt out a bird. There will be exceptions. But I have a feeling they will be rare. I have already had three people contact me about fostering or adopting and all three made me very uneasy. I asked one about smoking in the home and Teflon and she responded "no one smokes" and ignored the Teflon question. Automatic disqualification. Another friended me then a bunch of drama hit my news feed. I am going to be EXTREMELY picky because I want to help the birds, not toss them back into a life of abuse. It's very, very difficult to spend the time and energy to screen potential adopters. I don't know how I would even do it at this point.