ADOPT

The part of your soul that’s missing is right here.

THE PROCESS TO ADOPT ISN’T AS HARD AS YOU THINK.

A lot of people think that adoption through rescue has to be hard. It really isn’t. Our objective is to find homes as passionate about nutrition, enrichment, health and education for these animals as we are.

We have yet to find the person who wants to be mediocre when it comes to their parrot.

So - we work together to make sure you know everything you need to know to be successful, and we provide support for life. 

The Adoption Process:

Our founder, Shannon Kramer discusses what to expect throughout the process here.

Step One: Fill Out an Application by scrolling to the bottom of THIS page.

The first step is to fill out an application, here on this page. Be detailed. Show us who you are. Answer the questions thoughtfully and with as much detail as you can.

This isn’t a test. This is an expedition to see what you know, and if you don’t know - how much you’re willing to learn.

Scroll to the bottom this page to access the application.

Step Two: Complete Your Interview

After you complete your application, go straight to our Facebook Page and send a message on Facebook Messenger to our team to let them know you’ve submitted your app and would like to continue with your interview.

The interview is completed via text over Messenger, and the team will ask you to send a video walkthrough of your home, and ask you a series of questions.

The goal here is to get an idea of who you are as a person, and to use that information to pair you with birds who would be a good fit for your life and your personality.

If approved, you’ll be asked for a copy of your Driver’s License for the safety of our team and the flock. With all the break-ins and rescue thefts, we like to know who we’re inviting to the rescue. See our Privacy Policy to learn how we protect your information.

Step Three: Prepare to Bring Your Bird Home

Once you are approved for adoption, you will be required to prepare to bring home the size of bird that you’d like to adopt. After approval, you’ll come to the facility and be able to meet birds that fit your personality and lifestyle.

We like to figure out the size of the bird you expect to bring home, and to have you prepare for that by obtaining the proper habitat, diet, perches, and toys before you visit.

Most of the time, we have cages/enclosures available for purchase at a reasonable price at the rescue. In the event we do not, we do require you to have the cage available for the size of bird you plan to adopt prior to coming to the rescue, so that you can take your bird home that day.

The interviewer will ask for proof of readiness for the bird, and once you have it, we get you scheduled to come to the rescue.

***We do not hold birds for anyone, for any reason. We cannot hold a bird for a maybe when an appropriate human is standing in front of them.

If you expect to adopt, you must adopt that day. If you plan to wait, that’s absolutely ok, but you risk the bird you love finding a home before you come back.

If you’re not ready to adopt, it’s best for all involved if you wait to apply until you are.

Preparing to bring a bird home tells us you’re ready.

Step Four: Adoption Day!

For adoption day, you’ll need an appropriate sized carrier for the bird you’d like to adopt, and your adoption fee. Be sure to confirm fee requirements for your bird and any applicable equipment with your interviewer before visiting. We do accept all major credit cards, but it should be noted that digital payments have 4% of the total added to the fee to cover bank fees.

If you’re getting an enclosure/cage from the rescue, you’ll need a vehicle capable of transporting it.

And, if you’re driving a distance, don't forget some yummy snacks for the ride such as tree nuts (almonds, pistachio, walnuts, and pecans), and fruits/veggies. We love gently cleaned grapes for travel for hydration without the mess!

AVAILABLE BIRDS

HOW TO SEE ALL OUR AVAILABLE BIRDS

VISIT OUR AVAILABLE BIRDS PAGE

We used to use Petfinder exclusively, but the software has become rough to use, so we decided to just keep a page on our own website instead.

Adoption FAQs

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU APPLY IS HERE.

Q: WHAT ARE THE MAIN ADOPTION REQUIREMENTS?

A: The following list is what we look for.

1.) Smoking in your home is an immediate denial for adoption. (Our founder smoked for 20 years, but always outside. Smoking isn’t an absolute no, but smoking inside is. It’s bad for you, them, and everyone.)

2.) You must live in your own home, not with friends, parents, etc. You need to be the primary decision maker for your home or that person needs to be on-board with the decision to adopt.

3.) For large birds (anything larger than a cockatiel) You must be over 21. We’re always willing to look at it on a case by case basis if you’d like to inquire. Some kids can handle it - most kids cannot. It’s not personal, it’s historically accurate.

4.) We have a binding return contract. If you adopt from here, you will not be able to sell, giveaway or otherwise lose possession of the animal, and the animal must be returned to the rescue. We do not provide refunds for adoption fees. If desired, we can convert your adoption fee to a tax deductible write off to the rescue.

5.) For large species, you must live in an independent home, not an apartment.

Macaws, cockatoos and apartments do not jive. Any bird who is known to vocalize loudly cannot be adopted into an apartment. You’ll just end up returning the bird, and it’s best to skip that, for the sake of the bird.

6.) Birds cannot be purchased as a gift or surprise. The person who will be the caregiver and owner of the bird is the person who needs to be approved. Birds are not gifts. The person who will be responsible for them needs to be making the commitment themselves. Do you want to give a gift? Have your person go through the adoption process, and pay for the adoption fee when it comes time for them to take the bird home. That’s the best way to do it, and the person you’re trying to give a gift to will be able to fall in love with the bird that’s best for them.

7.) You must be willing to feed a varied, pelleted diet, not seed. Seed is a leading contributor to fatty liver disease in companion parrots, and cuts their lifespan in half. Approved pellets are: Higgins inTune, Harrison’s, Tropican, Roudybush, Topp’s and Lefeber’s.

8.) You will be required to prepare for your new family member with appropriate sized habitat/caging, perches, toys, and food before coming to the rescue. In most cases we have cages available for sale for extremely reasonable pricing.

9.) You are welcome to apply if you have other animals. In fact, we probably think it’s weird if you DON’T have other animals. FYI, our founder has 4 dogs, a cat, 4 jumping spiders, a saltwater fish tank, a 65 year old African Leopard Tortoise and a menagerie of parrots. Please don’t think we’re one of those rescues that requires no other animals in your home. We just care that they’re well taken care of.
 

Q: CAN I ADOPT A BIRD FOR MY MINOR CHILD?

A: We love kids, we do. But, the life changes that will be coming up are not good for a bird. You may adopt birds for your family, knowing they bond with a specific person usually, but if you think that might be a child, we beg you to not do that with a large bird. It’s just so terrible for them when the kids lose interest or leave them behind for college.

The exception is Cockatiels and Budgies as they can usually squeak by with most young adults as they’re starting out, but larger species with their noise and expenses typically don’t fair well with young adults and almost always end up getting re-homed.

We will consider cockatiels and budgie adoption to families with children if your kids and you are willing to go through the adoption process together, and convince us why they would be a good fit for the bird. Some kids can handle that responsibility - some can’t. You, as the parent, should be very honest with yourself for if your child is able to make commitments. A cockatiel can live in excess of 30+ years. Not every child is built for that.

We are always willing to examine every case independently if you want to see if your child would be a good fit.

See this article we wrote on adopting birds for children to decide if your will be a good fit. CLICK HERE.

Q.What are the steps to adopt?

  • Scroll all the way down on this page to fill out the application.

  • The interview will be done through Facebook Messenger.

    What we’re looking for (and we’re pretty up front about it, we think) is your history of owning animals, rehoming animals, and responsibility as a whole with animals.

    We want to get to know you as a human being.

    The interviewer will be asking you questions. They will ask questions about you, your home, your knowledge for the species you’re inquiring about, and about your history.

    www.facebook.com/birdsandbeaks

    IF YOU DO NOT HAVE FACEBOOK: Please let us know in the application in notes there. We'll arrange to do your interview via text message.

  • We’re not looking for Better Homes & Gardens - just how you take care of your life.

    Videos are best sent as one minute clips, and you can send as many as you would like through Facebook Messenger.

  • Be prepared to purchase a cage, perches, toys, approved food and accessories for your new family member.

    Most of the time we have cages available for very reasonable prices.

    We usually do not have enough perches and toys to share.

    Our team will look for proof of preparation prior to your being invited to the rescue.

  • For your invitation, we will ask for picture ID – this is for the safety of the rescue, our founder and the team. You will have an opportunity to meet and interact with all the birds. The adoptable bird you mesh with will be the bird you are approved for.

  • On adoption day at the rescue, the bird who chooses you will be the bird you are approved for. You will pay your pre-discussed adoption fee, and take your new family member home with you that day.

Q. What are the adoption fees?

A. Our fee structure is a small fraction of what the birds are being sold for in pet stores. We try to keep it affordable enough that they are attainable to everyone who is serious, but enough to discourage bird flipping and resale.

Adoption fees are what allow this facility to continue to operate.

PLEASE NOTE: When paying digitally, or with a credit or debit card, the payment processor charges an additional 4%. We accept Venmo, Paypal, Apple Pay and Visa and Mastercard.

Fees paid with cash do not have any added fees.

We do not accept checks for adoption or cage sales, no exceptions.

Rare Species are decided on a case by case basis. All adoption fees subject to change without notice.

Q. Are my adoption fees refundable?

A. Adoption fees are due before taking the bird home and are non-refundable.

Q. WHAT IF THIS BIRD ENDS UP HATING ME?

When you initially sign your adoption contract, you have 60 days to make sure the bird works out for you and your family. Throughout the process, and for the rest of that bird’s life, we are always willing to answer questions, and help with anything that crosses your mind. Always feel free to email or message us on Facebook.

Should the bird not work out, you can transfer that adoption fee one time to a different bird here at the rescue within 60 days, providing it’s not for a reason like: I’m bored, I got bit, or “gosh, birds are loud.” 

If the second bird doesn’t work out – it’s not the bird that is the problem. 

Your adoption donation is then converted to a donation to the rescue, which you can then request a receipt for, that can be used for your taxes. 

After adoption (or any time after you take the bird home), if the bird ever needs to be rehomed for any reason, the bird must come back to the rescue. This is in the contract, and is strictly enforced. You must surrender the bird back to the rescue. 

We can’t protect ALL the birds, just the ones that come through these doors. You may not sell, give away or otherwise lose possession of the bird unless it is directly to Birds and Beaks Rescue and Rehab.

This is a legally binding contract and enforceable through legal proceedings.

Q: DO I NEED TO HAVE A FACEBOOK ACCOUNT TO ADOPT?

A. It’s easier if you do. We used to try to do interviews wherever the client needed, and what would end up happening is we would have information in 10 different places. Email, text messages, telephone calls, Facebook, Skype, and it all became just too much.

We settled on Facebook because it's free, it's accessible to pretty much everybody, and we conduct the interview in Facebook messenger from our Facebook page where you will send your video walk-through of your home, and then our entire team can read your interview, view your videos and be part of the process so that we can all appropriately vote. We know that this isn't everybody's cup of tea, but if you'd like to adopt from us, we ask that you get Facebook so that you can use it.

And not for nothing, that's where we do the majority of our education and all of the community for our organization takes place. So you truly are missing out on a lot if you don't have it.

We are working on some alternatives for the non-tech savvy crowd - so if you need help, send us an email and we’ll ask our team to reach out to you via telephone to figure out what will work for you. As a general rule though, we try not to do interviews outside of Facebook because it scatters information, it doesn’t allow for the full process of our voting board to happen, and it doesn’t provide records for the bird’s chart.

In the event Facebook is a dealbreaker for you, please tell us you don’t have a Facebook account in your application, and we’ll conduct your interview over text message - but truly know you’re missing out on a lot of education and community without it. <3

Q: WHAT ARE ADOPTION FEES USED FOR?

A. Adoption fees are what keep this rescue in operation. Rescue is expensive. Very expensive. We have a standalone facility to heat and cool, usually several hundred heartbeats that require shelter, food, enrichment and medical care, and all the administration and overhead of taking care of that amount of animals.

Here’s some of the things your adoption fees are used for:

* Food. We feed a pelleted diet with Christine’s Chop Shop foods, as well as a varied treat diet of tree nuts, nutriberries, and human grade foods. We never cut corners on food.

* Transport. We drive all over Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois for transports. We’ve gone as far as Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkansas for transports, depending. Even when we charge mileage, that doesn’t cover the hotels, or meals we have to buy on the road, or the vet care and housing of those animals.

* Toys. A large macaw can go through a 40 dollar toy in about an hour. And if we don’t provide those toys, they will chew things that are a lot more expensive than that.

* Labs/Vet Bills

* Playstands, Outdoor Aviaries, Projects, and Rescue Related Activities for awareness and adoption events.
 
* Overhead costs such as the costs to run the facility, website, heating, electricity, security etc.

Q: CAN I GET A DISCOUNT?

A: We do not negotiate adoption fees.

In our eyes a bare naked macaw and a fully feathered macaw both deserve the same shot at the pursuit of happiness equally. As do the geriatric and handicapped. They also cost the same to feed, vet, (if anything the special needs birds costs us more to vet), they destroy the same amount of toys, and require the same amount of cage. So – please don’t ask us for a discount for the “imperfect” bird. They’re all perfect to us.

Q: DO I NEED AN APPOINTMENT TO VISIT?

A.  Yes.

We are not open to the public at this time. For the safety our team, the birds and the rescue,  we like to get the people coming to visit about 70% approved before they come over to visit – the other 30% is accomplished by talking and interacting with our founder and the birds. We will ask for picture ID before you come. So if you would like to visit, go ahead and start the adoption process following the procedures on this page, and ask us for an invitation (via our Contact Page or our Facebook page) and we’ll let you know where you’re at in the process.

Q: WHY WASN’T I APPROVED?

A. We want to approve you. So if we must say no, we will tell you why. It is never, ever personal. You can choose to take that personally, or you can understand that we do this with the best interest of the birds in mind and if you’re able to change or fix what the issue is, we’re willing to revisit the decision.

Common Reasons for Disapproval:

*Other birds for sale on the internet now or in the past
*Evidence of breeding
*Too many birds/animals in home
*Your in the DNA (Do Not Adopt) Michigan Database for Rescue
*You smoke in your home
*You didn’t follow the process to get approved
*You came at our team with a bad attitude. If you know everything it’s hard to learn anything.

Adoption Application

The following will get the ball rolling to apply for adoption of a bird from Birds and Beaks Rescue and Rehab.

***If you’re experiencing issue with submitting your application, check for red highlighted areas on the questions you may have missed and re-submit!