We’ve seen a lot of adoption posts for animals in need of homes, but some stand out as truly unique and unconventional.
Recently, one shelter wrote that they have a parrot up for adoption — if you can handle is shocking vocabulary.
Parrots are popular pets because of their unique ability to repeat phrases. Just be careful what you say around them… because they might end up picking up a few phrases you don’t want them squawking in polite company.
That’s the case with a white-fronted amazon named Pepper, who recently arrived at the Niagara SPCA, in Niagara Falls, New York as a surrender.
He’s now up for adoption — but the shelter warned that you might not like what comes out of his beak, calling him “foul-mouthed.”
“If you think Pepper’s feathers are colorful, you should hear his language,” the Niagara SPCA wrote on Facebook. “Forget does Polly wanna cracker? Does Pepper wanna kick your a$$?! is the real question.”
Though Pepper’s foul language might offend some, the SPCA says this cursing bird might be just the right fit for a “humor-loving home,” and even have some benefits.
“Bringing home a cursing conure might seem like a fun idea until Pepper offends grandma’s Tuesday night knitting group,” they wrote. “On the bright side, if you want to keep unannounced company from dropping in, adopt Pepper. They’ll think twice after being cussed out by your new foul-mouthed feathered friend.”
The SPCA said that Pepper will be available for adoption this week: they are accepting serious inquiries only with families with bird experience and appropriate housing.
If a swearing parrot isn’t your style, the shelter is also placing six parakeets and a Sun Conure named Peanut up for adoption.
While adoption posts usually highlight the positive aspects of an adoptable animal, sometimes it helps to get brutally honest and embrace their bad side. While a cursing bird isn’t everyone’s ideal pet, it might just be someone else’s dream.
Indeed, many people commented expressing some serious fandom for Pepper and his colorful vocabulary.
“I’ve never wanted a bird until reading this post,” one Facebook comment reads.
“I want him even more because he swears I love that!!!” another wrote. “What a honest sweetheart he is.”
It’s not clear if Pepper’s language can be rehabilitated — if his beak can be washed out with a bar of soap, so to speak. Once parrots pick up some four-letter words, it can be hard to get them to stop.
Just ask the staff at Britain’s Lincolnshire Wildlife Park, who discovered that five of their African Grey parrots were scandalizing visitors with foul language, with phrases like “f**k off” and “fat t**t.”
After briefly being removed, the parrots were reintroduced as the “infamous swearing parrots,” embracing their notoriety. The zoo has attempted to rehabilitate the swearing parrots by adding them to a flock of 92 non-swearing parrots, hoping that their language would assimilate — though it could backfire.
“We could end up with 100 swearing parrots on our hands,” chief executive Steve Nichols told the BBC. “Only time will tell.”
UPDATE:
In an update, the SPCA said that they had received over 400 applicants to adopt Pepper, including a saloon owner and an ex-Navy sailor. But they have prioritized owners who have the best environment for Pepper, and have narrowed the field down to 10.
They also said that Pepper would receive an avian vet check-up next week ahead of his adoption. The SPCA also shared a brief video of Pepper, but unfortunately he doesn’t swear:
This is one unique parrot and we hope he finds a perfect home soon — with someone who will happily put up with his bad words! 🤣
Please share this story with someone who would love a cursing parrot!
