I wish that the birds we’ve rescued could tell you themselves the difference you make in their lives. No one wants to suffer, to die for lack of a friend. In 2012, thanks to you, MickaCoo helped hundreds of pigeons and doves that otherwise had no one. Here’s the story of just one.

His story begins on July 23, 2009, when we were contacted by a shelter about an injured king pigeon, colored in red magic marker and due to be euthanized. A volunteer rushed to pick him up and get him to the vet before closing. He was 4 weeks old, weak and in pain. He had infection to the bone in both ankles. His underside was filthy green from being unable to stand up out of his own poop and his feathers scribbled bright red with permanent magic marker. The volunteer named him Peppermint. We don’t know what happened to him prior to arriving at the shelter but it looked as if someone had given this fragile baby pigeon (most likely purchased from a live poultry market) to their child as a toy, confining him someplace too small for him to even stand.

Peppermint’s infected joints were so damaged that the vet warned us he might never be able to walk. His vet care, paid by donations, cost more than $2000. His foster mom cared for him tenderly and he responded by coming back to life. In the beginning, he had been so traumatized, that he was almost catatonic but, as he began to feel safe and to heal, Peppermint started squeaking and emoting like a baby pigeon should. On a home visit, watching him watch her, I told his foster mom that she was his sun and moon. And she was.

Peppermint’s legs did recover (though he still can’t fly) and he grew up to become a big, hearty young man bird. He moved into a foster aviary and his first mate was a wonderful, sweet and much older lady pigeon named Dee Dee Detroit. (We called her a MickaCoogar.) When her health took a turn for the worse and we had to separate them, Peppermint remarried.

During his nearly three years in MickaCoo’s foster care, Peppermint worked many events as a Pigeon Ambassador (and still does once in awhile). He is pretty famous for his iconic “First Step in Pants” picture and he has won a lot of new friends for pigeons. Even so, it took till this year for charismatic Peppermint to get adopted. On May 26, 2012, Peppermint and his mate Skylar and four of their friends were adopted and moved into a beautiful aviary built just for them. Peppermint is home.

Your support of MickaCoo wrote this happy ending. Thank you.