Therapy Birds

[Robyn]

While it may work in rare cases just think about people as a whole. Look how many people rehome their birds because they are too whatever the owner didn't know to expect. You can go on Craigslist and any given day I see MULTIPLE people begging for a free dog to be a therapy pet but they don't want to teach the dog to fulfill their needs they want it to already come pre-trained, vaccinated and fixed they also want this free dog to come with everything it will ever need. Do you think that dog would be going to a good home? Probably not and I flag every free dog begger I see. Now just think if it became a thing for birds. Birds are more difficult to take care of than dogs, but they are smaller more portable and can talk and WILL bite. That being said most people who want a service animal can't handle loud noises. Birds are loud. Just imagine if therapy birds became a thing with the thousands of irresponsible owners already you would have more birds who "accidently" fly off and more birds rehome because the owner just can't handle a bird.

[Mare]

It definitely takes a certain mindset to believe that birds can be therapeutic. I, for one, am convinced. The article that Dianne posted opened my mind to more than I even knew! There are so many effed up people out there, from traumas that they have lived through and birds that have similar issues. I am sincerely a believer in therapy birds.

I know for a fact, my birds are empathetic when there is sadness.

[Penny]

My daughter always said that she thought a larger (well trained obviously) parrot would make a great animal assistant for the deaf and hard of hearing due to their natural tendencies.

[Robyn]

My daughter always said that she thought a larger (well trained obviously) parrot would make a great animal assistant for the deaf and hard of hearing due to their natural tendencies.

While that may be the person who would have to train them would be the owner or else it can take years for the bird to actually do what it's trained to do while it's adjusting and deciding weather or not it likes the new person it's living with.

As for mares point about birds being sympathetic it's not the birds that are the concern here it's the people. People are terrible and if therapy birds became a thing it would be the birds suffering because they are not the stuffed animal people expect them to be

[Mare]

Robyn, did you read the article that Dianne had shared? There truly are instances where birds can be therapeutic...I'm not talking about my experiences. Please read the article, it's awesome.

[Penny]

I think it's kind of sad that the first assumption is that people are going to be awful. Seeing eye dogs have enriched many deserving people's lives and in the cases I have been exposed to, the dogs life was enriched as well. The logistics may not be possible with parrots for the hearing impaired, and if they are I don't know how to work it. It was my daughter's thought originally and she's not even in high school yet, so I'm not going to discourage the thought just now.

[Mare]

Penny, this is such a bizarre, off the wall thought..I don't know how many folks watch "Dancing with the Stars". This just last season had an amazing man who was born totally deaf from birth, fourth generation, totally deaf. There is a feeling beyond words that unite us and feelings.

[Penny]

Penny, this is such a bizarre, off the wall thought..I don't know how many folks watch "Dancing with the Stars". This just last season had an amazing man who was born totally deaf from birth, fourth generation, totally deaf. There is a feeling beyond words that unite us and feelings.

I've caught a couple of episodes here and there.. the dancing is amazing! I may have to watch to see how the music moves a deaf man. I bet it's just beautiful!

[Mare]

There is no music for this man, it is him feeling off his partner, it's so beautiful to watch.

[Robyn]

Dogs don't scream because they aren't getting the attention they want dogs don't bite because you petted them wrong dogs don't sing because the sun is going up or down. Dogs will more often than not be friends with anyone. Birds will not. Birds will scream for any reason they want birds will bite for reasons the owner doesn't always understand. Birds are loud when the sun comes up and goes down. I find it funny that you guys always say birds aren't for everyone or even most people but once the idea of a therapy bird gets brought up you guys want to send every bird out there.