Guest Blog Post by Patti Delaney

On August 14, 2019, my cousin Josh sent me a message. An injured pigeon had appeared at his workplace, Certified Collision Body Shop in Sacramento. He attached a picture of a young homing pigeon with a drooping right wing.

I made an appointment with my avian vet, Dr. Jeanne Smith, so she could see the bird immediately after I picked him up. It turned out his wing was broken, so Dr. Smith wrapped it. She also checked him for parasites, worms, and other injuries. His leg was sore and he was hopping on one foot. Dr. Smith said his injuries were due to a collision. I teased that he’s not only a homing pigeon, he can read: He went to the body shop for repairs! And that’s how he became Mr. Certified Collision—CC for short.

We ordered a DNA test to find out if Mr. CC was male or female. I knew he was a youngster because he was still squeaking. I estimated that he’d hatched at the beginning of July, 2019.

Facing Big Fears

Because of his sore leg, I kept Mr. CC in a carrier pod to limit his mobility until he felt better. Of all his conditions, the most difficult to help him with was his fear. Most pigeons will calm down after you hold them for a little while, but not Mr. CC. He would keep trembling. If anyone was in the room, he would plaster himself against the side of his crate as far away from the perceived threat as he could get. I took him to a Palomacy outreach event so I could get advice from those with more experience. There, we watched him alternate between waves of high stress and periods of calm. Unfortunately, the calm never lasted for long.

When Mr. CC could walk on both legs, I upgraded his housing to a dog crate sharing a room with two other male foster pigeons, Rhett and Jacques. Rhett has a bold personality and I hoped Mr. CC would learn, copy, and achieve some confidence. But nothing much changed. When Rhett and Jacques were adopted, I moved Mr. CC to the family room where two parrots are housed. The cockatoo has typical attention-seeking behavior. My hope was that Mr. CC would see another bird demanding my attention and begin to feel that he, too, was safe. It seemed to help. He started using the shelves near the front of his crate.

Despite his shyness, I took Mr. CC to work at several Palomacy outreach events: Blessing of the Animals at the San Damiano Retreat Center, a House Blessing, and three SPCA Camp Kindness presentations. Mr. CC received big doses of compassion and he seemed to take it in. He was a favorite with the kids.

Mr. CC’s turning point came in early December. He was becoming confident. He was playing passionately with his toys. We were both starting to feel optimistic about his future.

 

Meeting Lucy     

About a month earlier, Sasha Johns had reached out to the Palomacy Help Group Facebook Page: She and her husband had visited a shelter to see if there were any dogs they might want to adopt. As they walked down the hall, Sasha saw a room with a beautiful white bird. She couldn’t stop staring at it. Her husband pulled her out, but she kept going back to see the bird. A volunteer came in and Sasha asked about the bird. The shelter didn’t know what kind of bird it was, its sex, or age. They just knew it was found in a park. Although her husband was not very happy about this adoption, Sasha was thrilled. She had contacted the help group to ask for advice, and I answered her call.

The bird, named Dr. Freeze, was a roller pigeon who was already snuggling with Sasha and eating out of her hand. Like Mr. CC, Dr. Freeze also had a right wing injury. He’d been to the vet for evaluation and to be treated for other minor health issues. He also had a DNA test. Dr. Freeze is female! Her name is now Lucy.

Falling in Love

Last summer, I left my name and number at the shelter where Sasha found Lucy. My hope was to share pigeon knowledge with the staff and volunteers. Amazingly, the Adoption and Foster Coordinator contacted me on January 1. It was a holiday but she wondered if I could evaluate a pigeon that had been surrendered. Evaluating pigeons isn’t my area of expertise, and I explained that to her. But I wasn’t going to miss this opportunity to make a difference. It’s baby steps for now, but I’m encouraged that there will eventually be a better understanding of the pigeons who land at this shelter.

I was so pleased with this opened door of opportunity at the shelter that I shared the information on Palomacy’s Facebook Group page. Sasha saw my post and commented that this was the shelter where she adopted Lucy. She said she would be interested in helping or fostering another pigeon.

I checked in with Sasha to see if she was serious about getting another pigeon. I was thinking of Mr. CC. It seemed like a perfect match since both birds are flightless due to their wing injuries. Mr. CC would have an indoor, loving environment, lots of out-of-cage time, and maybe even a wife!

Sasha said yes. And so did Lucy.

On January 7, Mr. CC—now named Bugsy—went home. When I left on that day, Bugsy and Lucy were already mirroring each other while preening. Now, five months later, Bugsy, Lucy, and their people are all very happy together.

You can help Palomacy create happily-ever-afters for more lucky birds like Bugsy and Lucy!  Please adopt, volunteer and donate!