Nonprofit group seeks to rehome feathered friends

Feeling lonely? Looking for a life partner? Want someone who will be the perfect fit with your personality? SouthWest Exotic Avian Rescue may be able to help you.

“We’re kind of like match.com but for parrots,” said Skye Marsh, vice president of the nonprofit. “We sit down with people and evaluate them based on their personality. Then we match them with an appropriate bird.”

The northwest-area group formed in July to take in pet parrots that are no longer wanted and relocate them to a new home.

Marsh is quick to point out that having a parrot is more like taking care of a 2-year-old — they require a lot of attention and love.

They need baths, their cages need to be cleaned, their nails need to be trimmed, their paper must be changed, and they like to play with toys, she said.

“They become depressed and stressed if you’re not there,” Marsh said.

Marsh recalls a time when she went inside Chipotle to order food, and one of her birds began screaming “Mom, Mom, Mother!” from outside the restaurant.

“They get emotionally attached to people,” Marsh said. “Before I leave somewhere, I always say goodbye to my birds, and I say hi when I come back.”

Parrots tend to live a long time — depending on the species, they can live up to 70 years.

“Birds are the third-most popular pet after cats and dogs,” said Kelle Coble, president of the group. “The average bird is rehomed nine times in their lifetime. It becomes a difficult transition for them because they get emotionally attached to their owners.”

“The problem is that people don’t realize how long they live,” Marsh added. “There comes a time when people start to want to travel or have to move in with their children, and they don’t know what to do with the parrot.”

As a result of that emotional distress, parrots sometimes take to feather plucking and screaming.

People who want to give up their bird to the nonprofit must sign a paper relinquishing their rights to the bird.

Birds are then taken to the vet to be evaluated and are closely watched to find what type of personality they have.

People who are interested in adopting a bird must fill out an application. Then potential owners have their homes evaluated to make sure the environment is safe for the birds. Group members will also follow up a few times after the rehoming.

Adoption fees range from $195 to $450 depending on how much money went into the vet bills.

“The adoption fee pays for veterinary care for the next bird,” Coble said.

Currently, the rescue group has eight birds.

Group members also make themselves available to answer any parrot-related questions that people have.

The nonprofit is in need of fosters, cages that are in good condition and financial donations.

“Their personality is so amazing; they’re really like children,” Marsh said. “Parrots are wild animals, but they want to be with you. You come to realize you’re their safety. They’re not pets; they’re companion animals.”

Visit on.fb.me/1eEPQ2J or call 702-937-1005.

— To reach North View reporter Sandy Lopez, email slopez@viewnews.com or call 702-383-4686. Find her on Twitter: @JournalismSandy.