Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I show up anytime, or do I need an appointment?

A: We only allow visits by appointment. Utilize the form below to contact us for an appointment, or see our Adoption page for information on our process and applications. If you just want a tour, we can facilitate that on occasion. If you’re interested in adoption, we prefer folks to apply first prior to visiting.

Q: How do I get a hold of you and why haven’t I received a call back?

A: While I do my best to respond to inquiries, general adoption requests via phone call don’t always get answered quickly. The rescue is too loud for people to hear me and service isn’t good in the quieter parts of the building... often cuts out. Our voicemail greeting directs people to email or text, which are still the best ways to reach us. Our operation is run daily by just two people, one full time staff and one part time (3 days a week) staff, with all adoptions, surrenders, and communication falling on the full time staff member. I do my best to respond when I can, and email will always get a better response time, but patience is the best way to win my heart! Repeated rapid-fire phone calls will not get a call back.

Q: How much do you charge for your birds?

A: We don’t charge adoption fees, though we do encourage you to volunteer or make a cash/check donation to the rescue. We do prefer your money go into purchasing enrichment toys, extra perches, and a really quality, large cage for your bird. Most adopters donate $200 to our organization to offset the medical bills. Each intake (medications not included) costs us $250 base for even the smallest birds.

Q: How long does it take to adopt a bird?

A: Every adoption is unique. Some may take several visits to get the bird comfortable, and some happen very quickly. This is largely dependent on your individual skill level , the birds we have available, and how quickly the bird becomes comfortable with you. Most birds require 3 separate visits to the rescue. It’s important to remember that sometimes you’ll come looking for a specific bird and we may not have a bird that fits your needs right away, so you may end up waiting for the right one.

Q: Can I adopt more than one bird?

A: In most cases, yes! Birds like to flock together and often enjoy company, feeling safe with each other. Some birds become aggressive with others, but that will be discussed for the individual bird.

Q: I need to surrender my bird, but I’m not sure what the best way to go about it is. Should I do a courtesy post or wait for an opening?

A: Typically, if we have space and feel like your bird will do well at the rescue, we could take them in. However, because space IS so often limited, courtesy posts are the better option in general. Handleable birds without a lot of serious needs can find homes very quickly via the courtesy posts and they allow us to reach a much boarder audience than we can adopt out to due to our policy on in-person home visits. We will always make space for medically needy or handicapped birds, provided they do not have any communicable diseases. We are able to accommodate a wide range of disabilities. If you are nervous about doing a courtesy post and really want to wait for a spot, be aware it could be months until we have a spot open, especially in the case of big birds. We will work with you to figure out what is the best option if you’re still on the fence and give you our honest opinion on what we think is the right decision. Just contact us using the form below.

Other questions not answered on here? Feel free to contact us via the form below. We appreciate your patience as we receive many calls and emails every day.

IPR strives for educating the public and potential bird owners on safety, health, diet, caging, enrichment, and much more. We feel strongly that education is the number one preventative for behavioral problems and return adoptions. Please see our resources below to answer any questions you have on basic care, enrichment, and veterinary information.