Relinquishing
Often a parrot is surrendered because an owner feels they have no other choice or is unaware of resources that can keep their parrot in their home. We may be able to help you find alternatives to surrendering your beloved parrot.
The best possible option is for your parrot to stay with you. There are many resources available that could help you address medical or behavioral challenges. If your bird has a behavioral problem that is causing you to want to relinquish please contact us. We will try to help with the problem. We want nothing more than to help you keep your feathered companion!
Our goal is to help as many parrots as possible to remain with their owners, and if that is not possible, to provide a loving and nurturing environment for the parrots in our care until a permanent home is found.
Many parrot-related problems are solvable! Talk to our staff about your situation. Whether it's a behavior problem, a housing issue, or another kind of crisis, we're here to help and advise you. Call us to discuss your situation. You may have special circumstances that require you to give up your parrot. Please make sure that you have committed the time and energy to work with your parrot before you give up your parrot. Many issues can be resolved with the right information and we would be happy to guide you to resources that might help you to work through any issues with your parrot. Make sure you have considered all of your alternatives to relinquishing your parrot.
Helpful Resources:
Re-Home Your Parrot Without Taking Them to a Shelter
No one knows your pet better than you. You know his/her likes, dislikes, interests and temperament, therefore you have a far greater chance of finding a successful new home than anyone else. Perhaps you could find your parrot a home with a friend or family member who knows your parrot well. You can continue to see your pet so that he/she doesn't feel abandoned, and you can remain confident that he/she is being cared for. Be very careful when handing your pet over to a stranger you have met online or through acquaintances. Share your expectations for your pet's new home and be sure to ask questions to identify a home that will be a good fit for your parrot. Make sure that you check references to ensure the person is responsible and ask that they reach back out to you in the event that they can no longer care for your pet. By making a determined effort to re-home your parrot, not only will you be giving him/her a better future – you’ll also be creating a future for another animal by leaving a spot open at our shelter.
Surrender Your Parrot
A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife is a no-kill shelter serving northern Illinois. We do take relinquished parrots as space allows. We understand that sometimes it may be necessary to give up a parrot and we will do our very best to place yours into a new home. However, shelters are places with many animals and strangers, new routines, and are noisy and are stressful to animals that are accustomed to being in a home environment. Shelters should be used as a last resort.
When you surrender your parrot, you are giving up all legal ownership rights to the animal. Legal ownership and responsibility are transferred to A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife. We take your parrot’s well-being very seriously and have a compassionate and dedicated team who will provide your parrot with loving care.
Below is a relinquishment form that we ask you to fill out upon considering relinquishment of your parrot. This helps us to know and understand your parrot’s likes and dislikes so that we may better provide for them. As long as your parrot's avian health tests are up-to-date, we do not charge a fee to take your parrot into our flock, but donations are always welcome! Each bird will be considered and evaluated before coming into our flock. Please understand, we do not refuse a bird because it is not hand tame or because it has health or behavioral issues. We simply ask that you fully disclose this information to us so we may serve the parrot in the best manner possible.
Relinquishment Process
Thank you for trusting A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife with the future happiness of your companion parrot and for being compassionate enough to do the right thing.
- To have your parrot considered for relinquishment to A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife, please complete the relinquishment form available on this website. The legal guardian of the animal must fill out the questionnaire. We require detailed information of the needs of your parrot, dimensions of the cage, a list of favorite toys, diet, routine, feather condition, and history. All information must be made known to us and complete health information (documented, listed below) are all necessary before we can begin to help your bird.
- After reading your questionnaire, we will contact you to discuss the next steps. Keep in mind that filling out the questionnaire does not mean we will be able to take your parrot.
- There are fees to relinquish your parrot: We require recent avian health test results in advance of relinquishment for any parrot we help to place, take in, or otherwise commit to re-home. These tests include: psittacosis, beak and feather, polyoma, CBC, avian borna virus, avian chemistry panel (including bile acids), fecal, a papilloma check, and a general examination. We must protect our resident and future parrots, as well as those in foster care. We do expect that you will be able to supply current vet records upon consideration of accepting your parrot.
- We wish we could take every animal, but we are limited by the amount of space and staff we have to adequately take care of them.
