Guest Post by Laura Lee

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Sunshine first introduced himself to Palomacy during last year’s big GlobalGiving Bonus Match fundraiser. Sunshine wanted to find a way to say thank you to the kind man who rescued him. Sunshine hoped that if more people learned about pigeons, then even more birds would be rescued. And Sunshine dreamed that somehow and some way, his rescuer Bob, would know how thankful a tiny yellow squeaker was to be saved. Sunshine was rescued during an ice storm on a frigid Canadian 2014 winter morning. Bob is the reason Sunshine just celebrated his second birthday. In fact, without Bob, there would have been no Sunshine at all. Sadly, Bob passed away soon after saving the tiny yellow baby. Bob never had the chance to see the result of his rescue. Sunshine joined Palomacy’s GlobalGiving fundraiser last year to say thank you to Bob and all the other courageous, dedicated birdie lovers and rescuers. And supporters of Palomacy made Sunshine’s wish come true! (See Sunshine Makes a Difference!) Sunshine wants to continue to pay forward the love and friendship of his rescuer Bob and his wife Debbie- by once again joining Palomacy’s GlobalGiving fundraising campaign Wednesday 6/15. Sunshine hopes this year the supporters of Palomacy will continue to prove ‘one pigeon can make a difference’.

A lot has happened in this last year. Sunshine took up a new hobby of collecting colourful zipties. And Sunshine celebrated a special milestone in every pidgie’s life… Sunshine fell in love. This is an unlikely love story but it follows true that the most unexpected painful trials in life can lead to beautiful things.

Henny Penny defied great odds of survival. She was a tiny white dove found laying in her own blood with clumps of red splattered feathers carelessly strewn about the cold, hard, and still wet-from-the-rain ground. Was she even breathing? Her legs were in that all too familiar ‘stiff’ pose. Her eyes were partially closed. There is a point at times when a bird rescue mission slips with heavy silence into the ‘just keep her comfortable’ reality. Henny Penny was clearly mauled by a predator. A helpless domesticated white dove, she had no business being outside alone and unprotected. I am ashamed to even be human at times like this. To know it is always people letting animals down. I took Henny Penny home expecting the worse but hoping for the best. Heartbreaking.

Henny Penny took up residence in my hospital room. My home has a constant din of dove cooing and canary song. And I have one pigeon. Henny Penny started to perk up when she heard the company of my other birds from her isolated hospital room. Especially one bird in particular… Over the next month, Henny Penny basked in the sun of my window sill healing more and more each day and exchanging gusty coos with the most unlikely of birds: Sunshine.

After a month, Henny Penny was ready to join my soft bird aviary of retired breeder birdies, doves with special needs and cheerful canaries. I opened the door for her to fly in herself but instead she scooted backwards, scampering into the room Sunshine calls his own. This would of been the first time Henny Penny ever saw Sunshine in person. Before that they just knew each other from exchanging coos. Henny Penny acted like she knew Sunshine and continued to scamper towards him- but I quickly whisked her away because it is too dangerous to have a super-sized pigeon around a tiny white dove.

During the week, Henny Penny managed get into Sunshine’s room three times while I was changing waters and cleaning up. After the third time I decided it was no coincidence. Henny Penny deserved some supervised visits with Sunshine. It was visably noticeable how happy Henny Penny was when she was with Sunshine. Her coos became softer and she gently preened Sunshine’s feathers.

I feel it was the exchanging of romantic coos behind the walls that placed the motivation in Henny Penny to fight beyond her injuries. Once Sunshine and Henny Penny met it was love at first sight from the way these two cooed and greeted each other.

Our friend Bob rescued Sunshine against all odds in 2014. Sunshine rescued Henny Penny with only a promise of love and birdie-snuggles from behind the walls in 2016. Even years after Bob rescued Sunshine, his dedication to helping birds is paying forward. And I am confident this will always continue as Palomacy’s supporters reach out to help more and more pigeons and doves. One pigeon can make a difference thanks to the tireless efforts of bird rescuers & advocates such as Bob, his wife Debbie, Elizabeth and all the many big hearted people. Sunshine sends many feathery-helicopter spins and coos to all the generous donors of Palomacy.

My flock has an active presence on Palomacy’s Facebook page. And it seems there is special birdie that has a lots of fans … Sweet Potato! Sweet Potato has a genetic condition caused by crossed genes of selected breeding. Double Fizzle, Porcupine Bird and Super Silkie are some names of the condition Sweet Potato has. I read once it was something to do with the S1 and S2 genes but I don’t know what that means. What I do know is birds like Sweet Potato are euthanized because of their appearance and by misinformed people seeing them as unhealthy or suffering. Nothing could be further than the truth. Sweet Potato was adopted into my family in 2012. He is a bundle of energy, confidence and affection. No one plays with their jingle bells like Sweet Potato!

Sunshine and Henny Penny and Sweet Potato have inspired a big surprise for Palomacy supporters during their GlobalGiving Bonus Match Fundraiser this Wednesday, June 15th. We have teamed up with an actual Marvel artist! Supporters who donate while Bonus Match funds last will be entered in a raffle to win either this super portrait of super Sunshine by Marvel comic book artist Veronica O’Connell or this hand-painted plaque by artist Shane McCormack and the first 45 donors will each receive a very special Thank You from Sunshine & his friends!

Sunshine worked very hard on his special Palomacy thank-coo-coo card!
It features a double sided full colour postcard of Sunshine & his friends.
The first 45 donors will receive his beautiful keepsake postcard.
Your address will be written on the tummy of a white dove!

Sunshine’s gift included all printing and postage expenses.
Donations made to Palomacy go 100% to the birds!
The artwork was created and donated by Veronica and Shane and shipping costs will be covered by Sunshine!

Sunshine took a photo of his thank-coo-coo postcard to keep everybirdie a sneak peek!

A huge round of big wing hugs to our professional artist friends for donating their time and talent to help the pigeons and doves! Sunshine has crossed international waters by having artwork created by an Irish professional photographer and artist – Shane McCormack, and Marvel professional artist Veronica O’Connell originally across the pond as well. Sunshine is proud to be the first Canadian Pigeon Palomacy Ambassador. Love of doves and pigeons knows no boundaries!

Each person who makes a Bonus Match-earning donation to Palomacy will get their name in a raffle draw! Sunshine will pick the winners!

Sunshine and his friends want to express our love and appeciation for everybirdie who supports Palomacy’s pigeon and dove rescue. This all began with our friend Bob who rescued Sunshine during a frigid Canadian ice storm in March 2014. And now even more people from all over North America and beyond are celebrating their love and appeciation of pigeons by helping Palomacy inspired by Sunshine’s story! Thank-coo for helping Sunshine’s wish come true. Thank-coo for proving one pigeon can make a difference. Special birdie kisses for Bob’s wife Debbie as Sunshine expresses his gratitude for him and all other birdie rescuers and advocates. And an extra big wing hug to Elizabeth at Palomacy! We are so thankful to be included in Palomacy’s fundraiser. Thank-coo for teaching the world about the love pigeons and doves! So many birdie lives have been saved because of Palomacy. And so many people adopted and share joy with unreleasable pigeons and doves because of Palomacy’s presence in the global community.

Thank you!

Laura Lee & Sunshine & Henny Penny & Sweet Potato

Please donate to support Palomacy here now for +50% Bonus Match & more!