The Pet Care Trust - News Releases

In 1990, the Pet Care Trust awarded $90,000 to grant recipients for multi-year projects which included Canine Therapy with Autistic Children, A University Curriculum to Teach Animal Assisted Therapy in Occupational Therapy Programs and Standards and Criteria for Animal Therapy in Hospitals and in Elder Care Facilities. A one-year grant was awarded to the Parrot Education and Adoption Center (PEAC) of San Diego, CA. This pioneering, non-profit program was established in 1990 by Bonnie Kenk, and quickly established itself as a national leader in sheltering injured, abandoned or orphaned parrots. In 1996, the adoption center was organized to provide permanent homes for birds that people could no longer keep. Recognizing that most people who acquire a parrot may have no idea what is involved in caring for the bird, the Center became a major education source for disillusioned owners and want-to-be parrot adopters. The Center's focus is on education and accurate information, so that new owners will not become frustrated and end up giving the animal up for adoption, or worse, releasing it into the urban or suburban environment.

PEAC seminars are required for people who wish to adopt a bird. The committed staff of 25 volunteers have a very successful record of bird placement in permanent homes. Based on this success, the Pet Care Trust Board of Trustees funded the development of a "How To" manual to help other parrot adoption programs nationwide. "How to Start and Maintain a Successful Parrot Rescue Organization" was completed in the summer of 1999, and the first 100 copies were circulated at no cost as part of the grant award. Positive reader response includes: "invaluable", " we are now non-profit", "so helpful". The comprehensive document includes chapters on non-profit status, education and adoption policy and guidelines, volunteers, finding new homes, funding and avoiding burnout. The five appendices provide model documents for contracts, agreements and questionnaires. Bonnie Kenk, PEAC Founder and Executive Director, has written a heartfelt and no nonsense document, which if followed, will save aspiring new Centers valuable time and resources and reduce frustration which could lead to failure.

To establish a parrot education and adoption center is truly a labor of love and a commitment which requires patience and understanding of both parrots and their human guardians. Anyone who is seriously considering developing a parrot program should contact PEAC and acquire this honest and straight forward document. What one will learn by reading the PEAC manual just may be the difference between "another noble effort that could have been" and "a program that really works".

Contact:

parroted@peac.org