Apply to Foster a Parrot from SWEAR
BEFORE YOU APPLY
FIRST: Read our comprehensive guide to Parrot Care carefully!
There are many things we take into consideration before approval for foster or adoption but listed below are some of the primary things we look for in a potential home situation. Please read over them carefully.
If you do not meet any one of these criteria it may very well cause your application to be rejected and it is likely we may not respond to your application.
If your application meets all our basic criteria we will contact you to schedule a home visit.
You must be 21 years of age or older.
You must live in the Las Vegas valley or one of the nearby surrounding communities.
Your home must fit the type of bird you're interested in. We will not place a large or loud bird in an apartment or condominium (like a Macaw, Cockatoo or Amazon).
You must be applying for yourself — we will not foster or adopt to anyone other than the applicant, never give a pet as a gift!
You must have a stable home situation. Please don't apply if you recently moved or plan on moving soon or are unemployed or living on unemployment (see #6). It is possible, if you are living in someone else’s home, you may not be approved to foster or adopt, depending on your situation.
You must have a source of income to ensure you are able to care for a parrot financially. Veterinary care, food and toys are all expensive and vital to taking care of your parrot. You will need to have funds available to you for regular veterinary check ups or if an emergency medical situation warrants a trip to the vet. A typical vet visit can easily cost $250, and an emergency, serious illness or injury can be upwards of $2000.
You CANNOT smoke inside your house. If you smoke, but only outside, our determination will be made on a case-by-case basis. There can be NO SMOKING of any substances around a parrot, NO exceptions.
Make sure you have no strong odors in your home from candles, scented products like oils and plug-ins, cleaning products or animal urine.
You agree you will NOT use any non-stick cookware or appliances which can kill a bird.
There can be no other potentially dangerous animals in the home that could pose a threat to a bird, like a prey driven dog, cat or unsecured reptiles.
If approved you must agree in a signed contract you will NEVER use the bird for breeding purposes whether intentionally or accidentally. If you breed the bird your adoption agreement is null and void and you must relinquish the bird and their offspring back to SWEAR.
You must have a car that is a reliable source of transportation. We will be unable to place a bird where there is no way to get them to medical attention should an emergency arise. Reliable transportation for regular grooming may also be necessary.
You must be open and willing to learn and change what you may know about parrot care and welfare. Current research and knowledge is improving the lives of captive parrots and a willingness to learn is an important step in ensuring a healthy, long and happy life for a companion parrot. Computer access is a vital source of research and is very important.
SWEAR Home Visit
The home visit is our opportunity to meet you in person and make a final determination as to your eligibility to foster or adopt from SWEAR. The Home visit can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour. We do not come and inspect your home with white gloves! We simply meet with you in person, meet your family, see where a bird would be living in your home. We make sure your home is safe and appropriate for a bird. We do not need to see your entire home, only that part of your home where you will be keeping the bird.