Some of the responsibility has to be given to the private parties and especially the retailers who sold these animals and, in some cases, sent the new owners on their way without so much as a care sheet. But the pet purchaser has responsibilities, too. It's an unfortunate fact about pets that they have a way of making common sense fly out the window. You cuddle a kitten being given away in front of the grocery store, and the next thing you know you're inside putting litter, kibble and a catnip mouse in your shopping cart. Not the best start to a relationship that should last for years, but at least you're making a good-faith effort.
Some people are even less aware of the requirements for keeping a pet than that.
If you buy a VCR and can't figure out how to hook it up, or how to program it, you can leave it in the box for a while until your sister, the electronics wiz, has time to drop by and set it up for you. But that hermit crab you didn't even buy food for isn't going to wait. The stunning scarlet macaw falls into that category. Living with loud cries is as much a part of owning a parrot as is dealing with feathers. I know, and I don't even live with one.