New York Bird Club
"God loved the Birds and Invented Trees. Man loved the Birds and Invented Cages."

Why Free to a Good Home is a Bad Idea!

- Sold for Profit as Pets
- Sold to Research Facilities
- Used as Breeding Stock
- Victims of Abuse and Neglect

We would like you to be aware that there are deceptive people who routinely prowl message boards and
obtain parrots for profit by fraudulently answering "Free to a Good Home" ads. They are usually very persuasive and
friendly knowing all the "right answers" to your questions because they do this sort of thing on a regular basis. They are called
"bunchers". Some may even bring their children along to make you think they are a loving family so people feel comfortable turning
their birds over to them. They prey on people in desperate situations and who place "Free to a Good Home" ads.

The most important thing you can do to discourage this kind of person is to charge an adoption fee!
This makes it much more difficult for them to realize a profit so they will usually not bother contacting you.

Giving any pet away is misguided. If you charge a nominal fee (i.e. $10 for a parakeet or a smaller bird, $30 for
a cockatiel or medium-sized bird and $100 plus for a larger parrot), the new guardian is more likely to take their commitment
to the companion bird seriously. A free pet may be seen as a disposable pet!

Paying a fee for a companion bird shows good faith on the part of the new guardian and demonstrates their
willingness to properly care for their new family addition. The truth is, there is no such thing as a "free" pet anyway. By the time a
bird is examined by a vet a "free" pet will easily cost in excess of $300, and that's just for starters. A responsible person who would properly
take care of a bird companion will understand this and will not be opposed to paying a reasonable fee for a
healthy bird, especially if some or all of these health items have already been taken care of.

If a person cannot afford to pay an adoption fee for a bird, how will they be able
to afford the normal expenses of proper avian care, and how will they ever afford vet bills when the parrot gets sick?

If you are uncomfortable with asking a fee for the bird, consider including incidentals such as toys, supplies, food,
etc as an added incentive. If you are including a cage in the package, especially if it is an expensive or large one, you
may want to up the price slightly higher, since it has come to our attention that some people will adopt the bird for the cage only and
then let the bird fly away. The idea is not to make a profit, but to ensure the good intentions of the new guardian.

What Should You Do?

- Charge an Adoption Fee
- Ask for Identification, a Driver's License, etc...
- Perform a Home Check Before Adoption
- Use a Signed Application and Pet Adoption Agreement *(see Below)
- Follow-up Visits

And last and if at all possible, tell the new guardian that they can always return the
bird back to you if things are not working out. A trial period also is an excellent idea and highly recommended.

Finding homes for our avians takes both time and commitment. It isn't easy, but our birds are counting on you. You are all they have.

*Sample Adoption Agreement at:
http://www.petrescue.com/library/adoption-form1.pdf
Reference
http://www.craigslist.org/about/PETA.html