hello all,

i was wondering if anyone here did foster care for their local rescues. i've been in touch recently with a local parrot rescue (S.O.A.R.) and they are in need of foster care volunteers. it wouldn't be something i'd even want to consider until ivy is home and well adjusted, but i have been thinking on it for the future. i really would like to help homeless parrots, more than through the donations i make.

i'd love to hear thoughts and experiences from you guys! thanks so much!

I hav e asked here and they dont seem to have enough in there to warrant any help....... thats what they said anyway............ we have a parrot sanctuary here that is almost 2 hrs from here. but they dont let people on the property...... you pay to support they do the looking after...............but they dont look for volunteers.....

I would love to do this also but we really don't have any local rescues that I can find. Also I worry about the possible diseases I could be bringing into my home that could harm my flock. A strict quarantine would be a must.

I would never do it, at least not at this point in time. I live in a one bedroom apartment, and am unable to strictly quarantine. I would never risk Ollie's life with the all the potential diseases that could be brought in. It's so hard to properly quarantine anyways.

Its my dream one day to have the space to foster and rehome birds either on my own or working for a rescue.... But I would never risk exposing my guys and right now , like camille, I live in an apartment and woulnt be able to quarantine properly, never mind fit any more fids....

Yep Yep Yep!!! I fostered a bird from the Gabriel Foundation. Here, they quarantine bird for 45 days and give blood tests, so I knew beforehand that the bird was OK (along wiht my other two). Fostering is really great. Bebe was taken from a hoarding situation and had plucked all of her back and chest, and was sickly thin. Fostering gave her the environment she needed to heal, and in the end I ended up with such a blessing of a bird. :-)

If Lynda ever needed me, I would defiantly take a foster.

I personally would never enter into one of those contracts. I feel that there are too many restrictions and invasive requirements that the adopter must agree to. Sure, the rescues do have to be cautious, to a degree but I think some are way over-bearing in what they require. There are not too many people, considering all the potential bird keepers/owners out there, that would sign those type of agreements - maybe that is why some rescues have so many birds that they need to re-home?

After the required A.V. vet expenses (direct & associated expenses, to include the value of one's time) and adoption fees, one would be paying close to what a baby would cost from a breeder, maybe much more in the long run - when one considers all health related possibilities. I think most people who have room in their lives for a bird would want one from a source that gives them no headaches or concerns like some overbearing/over-demanding rescues do.

In summation, I think they (in general) should lighten up some.

JMO