New York City parrot shop owner Queron Romain gets over a dozen requests per month to re-home birds whose elderly owners have become sick. Other times, the birds outlive their owners altogether.
Romain's experience shows why experts say pet birds and turtles belong in your will, more so than dogs or cats.
Because the animals have lifespans rivaling those of humans, pets like parrots and tortoises easily outlive their owners, especially if purchased later in the human's life.
"It happens every day, all the time," said Romain, 30, who runs Empire Parrots NYC in Brooklyn.
There is no data on precisely how many pets outlive their owners in the U.S. but rescues across the country have dedicated themselves to re-homing pet birds and turtles, pointing to a constant need for emergency fostering. The volunteer-run groups say they're trying to teach potential owners to align a pet's lifespan with their own so that the pet doesn't greatly outlive the human. Or, just make a plan for what will happen to the animal in the event of your death, rescue groups told USA TODAY.
On Long Island, bird foster operator Linda McGay takes in parrots from emergency situations, often after their owner passes away without making a plan.
“We handle the deaths," McGay said.
McGay, who is 74, has 10 parrots of her own. Several of them are in their 30s and will likely live another 20 years or more.
"My macaws will long outlive me," she said.
McGay says she has a plan in place for when she eventually dies: "The birds are in the will," she said. "My daughter is getting the house and the birds."
How long do parrots live?
Romain said he has seen parrots live to 80, and said birds that old likely outlived an owner at some point. co*ckatoos and Amazonian parrots are some of the longest-living pet parrots, able to live to age 60 or older with the proper care, according to veterinarians and zoologists.
While upward of 60 years represents the maximum potential lifespan, many popular large pet birds like those owned by McGay can live until 40 or 50 in captivity, she said. She has four macaws, two co*ckatoos and one African grey parrot, plus an eclectus parrot, a parakeet and one nearly 30-year-old co*ckatiel named Toby "that's old as dirt" considering average lifespans for the parrot species are 10 to 15, she said.
"They wound up here and I couldn't find homes for them," said McGay, who runs the nonprofit Parrot Rescue New York from her home in Hauppauge.
McGay said she usually fosters up to five birds at once, usually found after being abandoned or getting lost. Toby was found on a golf course and one of her macaws near New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. She also helps other bird lovers put their pets in their will, including setting aside funds for the bird's daily needs, like food, and veterinary care.
How long do turtles live?
In Baltimore, Katrina Smith helps run the Mid-Atlantic Turtle and Tortoise Society and has 10 turtles of her own − many of which were given to her by a friend before he died.
All of Smith's turtles are 20 or older, and many will live until age 50 or 60. Some tortoises and box turtles live until 100, Smith said.
"I have a list of people to call on the refrigerator door, that if I go down in a fiery plane crash, my husband is supposed to call those people to come get the turtles," Smith, 53, said.
Each year, Smith said, her rescue group takes in about five animals because their owner died and did not make a plan.
"A lot of people don't take the time to do this, and then they get sick and pass away, which is neglectful," said Romain in Brooklyn. "It's sad to say that the person passed away, but it's still neglectful. You had a responsibility."
Far more turtles and tortoises − about 100 − come to Smith's rescue society each year after their owner becomes too ill to care for them, she said. The volunteer-run organization re-homes most of them, and is currently fostering about 30 animals, Smith said.
The group is trying to adopt out a 42-year-old red-eared slider named Ferti, who came to MATTS after her owner moved into an assisted living facility.
New owners should get an older animal, make a plan
If someone is considering getting a pet parrot for the first time, Romain advises against getting a chick, he said, because that bird will be around for another 50 years or so.
"People think older birds won't bond with them, and that's not true," he said.
Taking time to get to know an older bird and avoiding its dislikes − like a loud vacuum − will help you form a positive bond with the animal, Romain said.
"Birds are very intelligent, so you could do something that the bird does not like and he will remember that you were the one that did it," Romain said.
Like with birds at McGay's rescue on Long Island, there are so many turtles and tortoises in foster care in need of permanent homes, Smith said. Anyone considering getting a turtle should look on Petfinder.com in their local area instead of buying one from a store, she said.
Regardless of your age, or the animal's, people just need to have a plan in place for what will happen if they can no longer care for their pet, Smith said.
"Don't be afraid to get a pet because of your age or the animal's age, because life happens and you never know when it's going to happen," Smith said.
