Pet Retention Services: An Under-Appreciated Rescue Option!
By Monique Viljoen-Platts:
When people think about Rescue, often it is in terms of taking a pet from a bad situation and transferring them to a new, loving, and carefully vetted home. This is usually done after a period of rehabilitation where health and behavioral issues have been addressed. And yes, very often, this is what the work of Rescue revolves around. But if this is ALL it is, it is destined to fail with far too many animals falling through the cracks. Any Rescue Organization that does not also strive to address the root causes of animals being surrendered and abandoned is simply trying to put a band-aid on a hemorrhage, or bail out a sinking ship with a teacup!
The key to successful and sustainable animal welfare work is to both increase the number of animals moving out of rescue into permanent homes and, perhaps more importantly, reduce the number coming in. We all know the statistic that pet birds are the third most popular pet but the most frequently surrendered. What if we could turn this around by addressing the reasons birds are surrendered in the first place? There are many ways to do this and one of the ways is through Pet Retention Services.
These services aim to educate and empower the original pet guardian so that the bird can stay in his or her original home. Services which include:
In-person or virtual consultations where problematic issues such as screaming, biting, feather destructive behavior, etc can be addressed. Online resources (videos, PDFs, etc) that provide bird guardians the information they need to have a successful and happy relationship with their bird. Assistance in accessing the correct veterinary care for sick birds. Rehabilitation in foster care away from the home environment. Often this is the most successful and helpful to the bird. The original family remains involved in the process and the bird returns home once rehabilitation is complete, along with education and ongoing support.
Do you have a bird in your life who is not doing well that you are beginning to think of surrendering to a rescue organization? Did you know that this may not be your only option? If you could change one or more things in your bird’s life would you consider keeping him/her? If so then talk to Cheeky Beaks Parrot Rescue today to find out what services may be available to you to keep your bird healthy and happy in your home. We can assist in all the ways listed above! Yes, if you still need to surrender we are definitely there for you but please don’t feel that if you contact us you will be forced into this option. Our preference is to work with you to keep your bird if at all possible!
If you are a Cheeky Beaks supporter please resist the urge to demand that a bird in a bad situation be removed and never returned to their original home. People have the capacity to learn and grow and if they are open to this not only can we save the bird the stress of being rehomed, we have helped create one more good home for a bird and we all know that we desperately need more of those! Support Pet Retention as a form of rescue. Perhaps one of the best, most sustainable ones we have available to us!
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