Terminology: What is a 'rescue'?

[Michael]

Because the alternative might be release, neglect, or death. Rehoming when you are no longer able to care for your pets is a wonderful thing, and rehoming when you are in search of a pet and can care for one is a wonderful thing... So it is wonderful, for everyone involved

Except for the bird. It may be wonderful for the person that is bored of having one and wonderful for a person looking for a bargain pet... but having everything change all at once is pretty tragic for the bird. But of course the bird's best considerations were never involved. No one asks the bird if it would rather move to another home.

[Kim S]

Please dont tell me its in the best interest of the bird to be kept by people who dont give a damn?

[Rrrma]

Because the alternative might be release, neglect, or death. Rehoming when you are no longer able to care for your pets is a wonderful thing, and rehoming when you are in search of a pet and can care for one is a wonderful thing... So it is wonderful, for everyone involved

Except for the bird. It may be wonderful for the person that is bored of having one and wonderful for a person looking for a bargain pet... but having everything change all at once is pretty tragic for the bird. But of course the bird's best considerations were never involved.

Not everyone who rehomes is just 'bored' with their pet and not everyone who gets a rehomed pet is looking for something 'cheap'. And it would indeed be better for the bird in the long run than being uncared for by their current owner for whatever reason. Shit happens, especially in this economy, people suddenly die, etc... you can't lump all rehomes into the same category as rescues. And I would absolutely say that someone rehoming a bird has their best interest at heart or they would otherwise do the aboved mentioned alternatives and then we would end up with a bunch of rescues instead.

Plus there is just as much 'sudden change' with a new bird as their is with an 'used' one. Everyone needs adjustment periods and it affects everyone differently.

[Michael]

Didn't we just spend so much effort differentiating rehoming vs. rescuing? Rescuing is where the parrot's well being is in danger. Rescue is basically mandatory, rehoming is a selfish choice (bored, too much trouble, moving on with life, etc). BTW, absolutely nothing against the kind hearted folks that take these unwanted birds in.

[Azure Hanyo]

Because the alternative might be release, neglect, or death. Rehoming when you are no longer able to care for your pets is a wonderful thing, and rehoming when you are in search of a pet and can care for one is a wonderful thing... So it is wonderful, for everyone involved

Except for the bird. It may be wonderful for the person that is bored of having one and wonderful for a person looking for a bargain pet... but having everything change all at once is pretty tragic for the bird. But of course the bird's best considerations were never involved. No one asks the bird if it would rather move to another home.

Did Truman want to be stuffed into a carrier and shipped cross-country to live in a scary new place? Did you ask him?

Come on Michael, really. Rehoming is sad on the outset, but after the bird settles into its new home it can be the best thing for the bird to have a loving owner who will care for it and never kick it to the curb. Rehoming IS wonderful, because if the bird is left with an owner who doesn't want it, doesn't pay attention to it, the poor bird is going to have a meaningless, unfulfilling life. People who get birds at random and end up not wanting them are selfish, yes; but it is best not to punish the bird by keeping it without giving it proper care and daily interaction.

[Azure Hanyo]

Didn't we just spend so much effort differentiating rehoming vs. rescuing? Rescuing is where the parrot's well being is in danger. Rescue is basically mandatory, rehoming is a selfish choice (bored, too much trouble, moving on with life, etc). BTW, absolutely nothing against the kind hearted folks that take these unwanted birds in.

And what of when someone finds out, after a year or so, that they have developed severe allergies to their bird? Or someone loses their job and can't afford a bird's proper care? I don't find these people selfish. Not all people who need to rehome their birds are bad people.

[Rrrma]

Didn't we just spend so much effort differentiating rehoming vs. rescuing? Rescuing is where the parrot's well being is in danger. Rescue is basically mandatory, rehoming is a selfish choice (bored, too much trouble, moving on with life, etc). BTW, absolutely nothing against the kind hearted folks that take these unwanted birds in.

No, rescuing is where the someone is already in danger, rehoming would be making a conscious decision to save them from an oncoming situation. They aren't in distress or trouble yet, but in a few months they will be. You can see things coming, people are suddenly stricken with cancer, loss of loved ones, loss of stable jobs they have been at for years, etc...

I think it is good when people realize they are in over their heads than it is to pretend they aren't and let the situation continue on. Even people who think they did their research and are fully knowledgeable of a situation can suddenly find themselves lost in the chaos of it.

So rescuing would be saving them from current distress and danger, rehoming would be saving them from oncoming danger and distress.

And yes, there are some selfish people out there that rehome their pets for no other reason than to get money, but lumping them in with the others would be like lumping good breeders in with petstores.

[Michael]

Generally I think of these kinds of things falling under rescuing:

-Neglect
-Abuse
-Major plucking
-Health problems
-Stupid owner (basically doing things wrong and not willing to learn)

But when I hear rehoming I think:

-Too much biting
-Too much noise
-Lost interest
-New hobbies take place of
-Wants other pets
-Getting married/having kids

[MandyG]

rehoming is a selfish choice (bored, too much trouble, moving on with life, etc).

Please see my post "Introducing Pele". His previous owners were not selfish, I've never seen somebody make a harder decision. If they weren't so selfless and weren't putting the bird before themselves he'd still be sitting in a cage sometimes up to a week without interaction.

You need to see that not every person that gives up an animal is a completely selfish person. Maybe if you develop severe allergies or a resperatory disease and you have to give up your birds you'll actually understand that one day.

[Rrrma]

Take my Hardy for example. He was a wildcaught amazon, a horribly selfish person took him out of his natural habitat to force him to reproduce for them. He didn't reproduce with his mate and so they were shoved outside on the porch and neglected. He and his mate were rescued by my mom's friend who cared for them and loved them. They couldn't be released back into the wild, we live in america and they had been in captivity for too long, so what are you supposed to do? She did the best she could and then his mate died. He didn't ask for that, but he got sad and he hated the other birds he lived with after that. My Rosie lost her best friend and she got depressed and I even considered rehoming her to see if it would make her happy... I was at a loss, I didn't know what to do. I tried everything in my power, I scoured the internet for help and nothing worked. Finally I decided to try and find a new friend for her. In steps my mom's friend. Her bird who lost his mate is depressed, my bird who lost her mate is depressed, so why don't we see if they can make eachother happy? She rehomed me her bird, and guess what? He is happy, and so is Rosie. It was a risk to uproot him and introduce new stress into their lives... but what was the alternative? Let them worry themselves to death because they lost their mate? I think not.