Quite a few parrots in our Adoption Program have found true and lasting love. Working with adoptive families is an incredibly rewarding experience. Not only have we been able to develop some wonderful relationships, but we also have prepared these families for long term success with their new feathered companions which provides a great sense of satisfaction for all of us. Corona, an Umbrella Cockatoo, just went home with Celeste this past week. Fina, another Umbrella Cockatoo (now affectionately called Jazz because of her singing abilities) was adopted by Dawn, Todd and their 8 children. Peachy, a Peach fronted Conure went to join Bee and Hunter’s flock. He is now called Nino. Draco, one of our beloved Lory’s from the hoarding rescue, went home with one of our regular volunteers, Patty, and is delighted to be in a family now. Draco also received a new name – Ariel. Roxie (formerly known as Beau Jo) is a terrific Greenwing Macaw that is going to be Marty and Judy’s “best friend” by the end of the week. We have had so many inquiries about our birds and we are so pleased to get the word out about how these birds can add such a fabulous dimension to one’s life and home.
We are often asked why our adoption process seems so “cumbersome”. To some, it appears that we are making it too difficult to adopt birds. To that, we agree – the process, when compared to dog and cat adoption programs, is more involved. There is a reason for that and it is based on the collective years of experience that we all bring to The Gabriel Foundation. Quite simply – the amount of information that needs to be shared for the placement of any birds to be successful in the long term is much more than dogs or cats. A majority of the birds that end up here in our program were acquired by well intentioned but poorly informed people who did not realize all that is involved in the proper care of these magnificent creatures. Because we do not want to be a “revolving door” for these birds, we want to take the time to prepare every home for the best possible success BEFORE the bird goes home.
Marty and Judy, Roxie’s adoptive family, have said often they are “so glad we make this process so thorough”. Even though they had a Macaw that shared their home for 12 years before her untimely death, they have “learned so much more about what birds need” and are “very ready to make Roxie’s home her last one”. We continuously hear from experienced bird caregivers that “they didn’t know what they didn’t know” until they went through the adoption process.
If you have friends or family who have been intrigued by companion birds, invite them to take one of our classes. They are open to anyone – not just adopters! The online Beyond Birdie Basics class begins the 15th of every month. Our next Mini Birdie Basics class, geared toward the smaller species, is a one day class that is held at The Birdbrain, 1025 Acoma Street in Denver, and will be held on Saturday, March 8th 2008. This class is an optimal way to check out just what is involved in bird care and behavior before you make the decision to adopt. See our website for more information about these classes, or call our Adoptions and Education Director, Patti Christie at 303-629-5900 x 213.
