Adopt/foster application and process
Before you apply
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Our adoption process takes time. It is a minimum of a month from the time someone applies before a bird is placed in their home to begin a foster period. The time it takes depends on a number of variables, including whether there is an available bird who is a good match for a family at the time, the location of birds and prospective adopters, and the schedules of our volunteers and adopting families. We look for homes that meet or exceed the Parrot Care Standards we advocate, to ensure all parrots have a succession of good homes.
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Our approach to adoption
Our adoption coordinators will work with you to find the best species and personality for your home, and that works well for the bird too! Please think first about the needs of parrots. What kind of bird will work well with your family, schedule, and capabilities? What kind of environment are you able to provide for a parrot large or small?
Understanding the attributes of various parrot species is important. It is also essential to make sure that the personal connection between each individual parrot and the adopting family is just right. We want our families and birds to succeed for many years.
Our goal is to help each parrot find stability and the best possible place to call home. Some of our parrots are listed on PetFinder and other adoption sites. However, it is very important that you not apply for just one specific bird. Many other birds are waiting for our help and not listed. Let us work with you to make the best match for every bird in our care.
Understanding the attributes of various parrot species is important. It is also essential to make sure that the personal connection between each individual parrot and the adopting family is just right. We want our families and birds to succeed for many years.
Our goal is to help each parrot find stability and the best possible place to call home. Some of our parrots are listed on PetFinder and other adoption sites. However, it is very important that you not apply for just one specific bird. Many other birds are waiting for our help and not listed. Let us work with you to make the best match for every bird in our care.
Areas served - VERY IMPORTANT
Our areas of operation ONLY include Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, North Carolina, and Jacksonville in NE Florida. If you are outside of our normal operating area, we are sorry we that our volunteer network does not reach that far. But we hope there is an organization closer to you because almost every bird needs a succession of good homes. Thanks for considering adoption first and for Helping Parrots! And everyone is welcome to join our events, education is our most important mission!
Adoption (and fostering) process steps
If you are interested in adopting, or even just in fostering, the steps are listed below.
- Apply. If you are in our operating area, please start by completing and submitting an Adoption/Foster Parrot Match Application. PLEASE DO NOT SEND IMAGES. After you submit an application, the next step is to attend one of our core classes that coincide with the adoption process. When you have successfully completed a core class, you will be connected with the Adoption Coordinator for your area. That person will be your primary contact throughout the adoption process.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND IMAGES. Use only one of the two options above.
- Attend class. Attend a free, core parrot care class. Upcoming events are listed on our events page and are listed as core classes. Those that count as part of the adoption process are noted as such.
- Home visit and interview. Your adoption coordinator will arrange for a volunteer to do a home visit with you, which includes a discussion about species, space, time, knowledge, etc. This may be done in-person or virtually.
- Find a parrot match! Your adoption coordinator will work with you to identify a bird that may be a good match for the bird and your home.
- Foster. For most adoptable birds, we offer a two month foster period to allow you determine whether a bird is a good match for your home before finalizing the adoption. See a sample below of our foster agreement under Legal Agreements. If it is not a good match or isn't working out, the bird must be returned to us, of course. You may be needed to continue fostering the bird until another home can be found, since we rarely have homes immediately available.
- Adopt. After the foster period, if you wish to adopt, you finalize the adoption and celebrate! This includes signing the adoption agreement and paying the ADOPTION FEE. (See a sample adoption agreement under Legal Agreements, below.) See ADOPTION FINALIZATION STEPS for details. Should the bird you adopt from Phoenix Landing ever need another home in the future, we require the bird return to Phoenix Landing's adoption program for that next home. This helps us to ensure all parrots in our care have a succession of good homes.
