# Pet ringneck pigeon seeking loving home



## chiropteran (Oct 4, 2008)

*Pet ringneck dove seeking loving home*

I have a ringneck dove whom I am thinking of rehoming. I want her to either live in an aviary-type situation with other doves or have a close one-on-one relationship with someone who can spend a lot of time with her. Unfortunately, I am chronically ill and can't provide either of those things for her. She is an adult female ringneck dove in good health. I don't know how old she is - at least five years old.

I care a great deal about her and will want to see your home and your current birds, if any, and I will also be asking a lot of questions about how you care for your birds and/or how you would care for her. I also intend to have you sign a binding contract that states that I am allowed to visit her in her new home about a month after she goes to live with you to observe how you interact with her and then again a few months after that.

I also want to protect her and me in the future if necessary, so the contract will also state that I can take her back at any time if I feel it's necessary, but as long as you are a good, loving owner, you have nothing to worry about. It will also state that if at any time you decide you can't keep her, you must return her to me. This includes a situation in which her medical costs are too high for you to afford or be willing to spend on her. As for breeding, I don't mind if she hatches a few clutches that you keep or rehome with good people, but I don't want her to be purchased specifically for breeding or worn out from laying loads of eggs, and I again reserve the right to remove her from your care if I feel that that is what is happening.

Continuing on that note, I want to be sure you are able and willing to spend money on her for health care, which can be pricey, so I am asking a $50 adoption fee, which is non-negotiable. If you can't afford it, you can't afford a pet dove, in my opinion. However, this also includes a small Martin's Cages 18” x 11” x 11” wire cage (called The Carrier under their travel cages listing on www.martinscages.com, except not PVC coated) and perch, two large stainless steel ground dishes, and one medium wall-mounted stainless steel cup, if you want them. I will also give you whatever amount of food I have left for her. She has a larger cage but it isn't that sturdy, to be honest. You will need to provide a large daily cage for her.

Again to protect both her and me, the contract states that you must inform me of any change in email address, physical address or telephone number and that I have the right to contact you to inquire about her wellbeing, but I don't intend to pester you about her. This is simply so that I can be sure she is being well cared for. I will likely contact you once or twice a year to ask about her, first by email and then by telephone or snail mail if I don't get a response. I also ask that you let me know if she gets lost, seriously ill or injured. I won't insist on it, but I'd love to be given more frequent updates on how she's doing every month or so, and if she gets sick I'd be happy to help temporarily care for her if needed or for any other reason (and if it won't disrupt her or your life). 

Because I will want to visit your home, you need to live within an hour or so of me (I live in Howard County). I am not willing to ship her. This means that you must live in Maryland, in one of the following areas: Howard County, Montgomery County, Frederick County southeast of Frederick, Carroll County south of Westminster, Baltimore County southwest of Towson, Baltimore city, Anne Arundel County northwest of Annapolis, Prince George's County north of Upper Marlboro, or D.C. (basically, stick a compass point in central Howard County with the pencil point at Westminster in Carroll County and draw a circle. If you live in the circle, you're in my area.)

The way this will work is, you email me (address at end of post) with your address and brief description (current doves/other pet birds, why you want a pet dove) and any questions you have, I'll reply and email you an adoption application with lots of questions to answer and a copy of the contract I want you to sign, and if you agree to the requirements stipulated in this post and the contract you email the application back with your answers. If I think you'll make a good owner I'll email you to arrange a home visit, and if the home visit goes well we'll arrange for me to bring the dove to live with you at which point you'll sign the contract and give me the adoption fee and make plans for me to visit her in your home in about a month, and then again a few months after that.

Thanks for reading all of this, and please do contact me if you're looking for a great pet dove, she's friendly, sweet, and opinionated, and though she isn't very well hand-trained (my fault, not because of her), she is well-behaved, lets you pick her up and pet her (once she knows you a little) and is quite interactive. She saw an avian-certified vet when I first got her who proclaimed her to be in good health, and in the five years I've had her since then, aside for being a little under the weather when molting she hasn't been sick at all.

My email address is extraordinarypigeon at yahoo dot com.

Thanks again.

Laura

(This has also been posted at dovepage.com and doves-pigeons yahoo group.)


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## chiropteran (Oct 4, 2008)

Er, that would be "Pet ringneck dove seeking loving home". Sorry.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

> Er, that would be "Pet ringneck dove seeking loving home". Sorry.


That is how I read it, but you can change the thread title by going first into "edit" at the bottom of your post and then to "go advanced".

I hope that you find the perfect home for your little dove, it would break my heart to part with our Poppet and he spends all his day in the aviary with his friends so I don't have that much contact with him. 

Cynthia


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## kippermom (Jan 11, 2006)

I've adopted _children_ with fewer restrictions and conditions attached to the deal... 


Just kidding...but your conditions might scare good people away...


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## philodice (Sep 30, 2007)

I stopped reading past the first paragraph...

My eyes went all crossed.


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## lwerden (May 31, 2008)

It is obvious by your post that you truly love your bird and want only the best for him, however I agree that you are propably going to scare some good people away.

I hope you find a good home for your bird.


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## chiropteran (Oct 4, 2008)

Thank you for the feedback and/or well-wishes, everyone. I recognize that I'm shifting the burden of determining who is and is not trustworthy from myself to a potential owner, but, and this is entirely subjective I know, I think the risk in trusting me - possibly being out 50 bucks and a dove - is far less than the risk my dove stands in me choosing an untrustworthy guardian and at least compromising her quality of life and at most causing her significant suffering or even costing her her life. It certainly isn't my intent, but I'm willing to scare some good people away if it means being secure in the knowledge that she truly has ended up with a good person.

And thank you, Cynthia, for the information on editing my post title. I will do so, if I can figure out how.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I am not too sure that the right person would be put off. It just shows how important the dove's welfare is to Laura.

I used to rehome feral kittens after winning their trust a bit. Even now, at least 29 years later, I still worry about whether they went to the right home.

Cynthia


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## maryjane (Jul 15, 2006)

I think it's important to ask for a lot of information from a potential adopter. That way you can be assured your pet is going to a wonderful home.

If you do find members on this site interested in adopting, I'm sure you could private message any moderator for a "character reference", as moderators have been around a long time here and pretty much know people well.  Good luck finding a great home for your dove.


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