Update on the Hoarded Birds / Now Available for Adoption

In one of our previous blogs, I had written about the “Aurora Birds” which had been confiscated from a hoarding situation and were now being cared for by members of the Greater Chicago Cage Bird Club Adoption Committee until they could be adopted. I had gone to the facility where they were housing the nearly 400 birds for a prescribed thirty day quarantine period. I checked out the birds, performed some disease testing (which all turned out negative), and found them to be in good health.

I went to the facility yesterday (11/28/12) to check the birds so that they could be released from quarantine and put up for adoption. The birds were found to be in excellent condition and are now eligible to be adopted. Details on how to adopt these birds follow in one of the latter sections of this article.

In addition to the “Aurora Birds,” I was contacted by Dr. Lisa Lembke, from McHenry County Animal Control, two weeks ago to evaluate approximately 50 birds that were also removed from a hoarding situation, this case in Woodstock. There was a wide variety of birds, ranging from a macaw, large and small parrots, quakers, cockatiels, parakeets,  canaries, and others. In order to properly have these birds adopted, I enlisted the Greater Chicago Caged Bird Club Adoption Committee once again and A Refuge for Saving the Wildlife. Both these organizations are not-for-profits, dedicated to caring for as well as finding loving homes for pet birds. Diana and Nancy from the GCCBC, Rich and Karen from A Refuge, and Christopher from Niles Animal Hospital, aided in the examination as well as the disease testing of these birds. The tests were submitted for analysis and all came back negative, so they are also available for adoption.

Yesterday (11/28/12), the aforementioned members of GCCBC, with the addition of Bob, Karen from A Refuge, and Christopher, came out to remove the birds from McHenry County Animal Control and take them to the adoption facilities.

The final tally of the birds up for adoption are:

340 parakeets

36 cockatiels

1 sun conure*

3 jenday conures*

1 pineapple conure*

1 green cheek conure*

2 black cap conures*

*Note: The starred birds are not currently available for adoption. The original owner wants them back, so the final decision will be made after the court date of 12/4/12.

9 canaries                                                                                 4 cockatiels

1 pineapple conure                                                                   2 pineapple conures

1 rose-breasted cockatoo                                                         1 rose-breasted cockatoo

1 blue and gold macaw                                                 2 eclectus parrots (M & F)

3 sun conures                                                                           2 sun conures

2 ring-necked parakeets                                                           1 African grey

1 Senegal parrot                                                                       2 caiques

2 quaker parrots                                                                       1 diamond dove

13 parakeets

2 lovebirds

1 finch

1 jenday conure

The reason that these two organizations were selected to be involved in the adoption of these birds is that they have long-standing excellent reputations in the placement of birds. Both organizations are not-for-profit. They have strict standards which are adhered to because they do not want the birds to go to just anyone, they want loving homes, with people who will provide proper care for these birds. The birds will not be placed with “collectors” or into another “hoarding” situation. For both organizations an application form must be filled out before being considered as an adoptive home. Following the application, a home inspection is required before an adoption can be completed. If the adopter/adoptive home meets the standards of GCCBC or A Refuge, then an adoption fee is required to cover the costs of housing and any medical care/disease testing completed.

Some particulars about each group and the adoption process:

Current members of the GCCBC will have first choice of the adopted birds. Only members in good standing can serve as a foster home for any of these birds. The rules for adoption are that there is a limit to the number of birds adopted per household; 4 parakeets or 2 parakeets/1 cockatiel or 2 cockatiels or 1 large bird.

Contact the GCCBC for more details and to obtain the adoption forms. If you are interested in adopting these birds and are not a member of the club, you can contact the club via email, adoption@gccbc.org or phone 630-640-4924. They have a waiting list of people who are interested in adopting. Strongly also consider applying for membership in the bird club as well in order to become an active supporter of aviculture. For the Greater Chicago Bird Club (GCBC) yearly dues are $20.00 for single memberships, $25.00 for family memberships, $15.00 for single seniors (62+), $17.50 for dual seniors, and $5.00 for juniors (18 and under). Check out their website for more membership information or to check out their various activities. The club website is www.gccbc.org.

Visit their website at www.rescuethebirds.org to obtain the adoption application form. In addition to the McHenry County Animal Control birds, there are many other parrots at A Refuge who are available for adoption and need a loving home.

Some of you may be frustrated by having to fill out forms and be subjected to a home inspection; however, these steps are necessary to ensure that the birds will be placed in the proper homes. Birds are more than possessions or something to collect, they are living, loving, feeling, thinking individuals who need to be in a loving environment where they can get the attention they need/deserve.