June 4, 2019
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Palomacy Earns 2019 Top Rated Great Nonprofit Status
Thank you so much to the 186 supporters, volunteers and adopters who have shared their Palomacy stories and earned this recognition for rescued pigeons and doves! Please share your story too. It’s easy to do and helps raise awareness about our misunderstood and under-served birds.
With gratitude,
May 29, 2019
by Elizabeth
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This is how Willie-Mae’s rescue began…
Here is Willie-Mae the day she was rescued, looking puffed and concerned… a kind young man saw a cat carrying Willie-Mae in its mouth and remembered that his high school teacher had adopted two pij from Palomacy and did a presentation on the importance of being kind to pigeons in their class, so he put the pigeon in a box, named her Willy Nelson, and brought her to his former teacher, Dana, who posted on Palomacy saying she couldn’t drive to Wildcare because her husband had just had surgery, Elizabeth tagged Stephanie and I knowing we were located in Fairfield, I wasn’t on Facebook at the moment because I was at the vet with Jonah, so Stephanie called me, gave me Dana’s number, I called Dana and got the pigeon…
Our initial plan was for me to provide initial triage and care for a couple of days and then for Stephanie to take her to WildCare that coming weekend for rehab in a more wild-pidge setting, with Dana sending her contact info to WildCare so that she could eventually be released back with her Fairfield flock. However, when she arrived she was a classic “collision bird,” with neuro trauma her primary injury that had made her immobile and susceptible to being picked up by the cat in the first place… She could keep herself upright as seen in the photo, with a bit of a tilt to the right, but couldn’t stand or walk. My husband and I were concerned about her prospects for making a complete recovery, so we decided to rehab her here, with the plan of releasing her back to her Fairfield flock if she recovered and was releasable, and fostering her if she wasn’t. I had her DNA tested once we began to strongly suspect she wouldn’t be releasable, and she was a female! I’m pretty good at age guesses based on the condition of ceres, and I’d say she’s between her 1st and second year.
Here she is now, looking much more confident! She’s especially tiny, and especially fluffy (my friend’s 13 year old son got wide-eyed, dropped all his teenage bravado, and whispered “she has magical feathers” the second he petted her). She walks well now as long as she’s going straight forward! When she has to turn right or left, one of her legs doesn’t keep up with the other quite as well and she loses her balance easily, and if she has to step up she has the same issue and is prone to face-planting, poor dear. Her mobility challenges also get worse if she’s stressed/startled and feels like she needs to move quickly, and sometimes instead of moving quickly like she wants to she just winds up “sitting” down with her feetsies sticking straight out in front of her. So I’m quite confident she’s not releasable, but she gets around very well in a pet setting and eats, drinks, goes in and out of her nest, etc very comfortably. She’s still absolutely terrified of the concept of people’s hands, but admittedly for the majority of her time here we had been treating her with an eye towards release so I haven’t actively been trying to people-socialize her, so I’m sure with regular attention she will become much tamer, as now that we’ve concluded she’s definitely not releasable I’ve been spending much more time with her and she will already walk over to you and make tiny little lady-bird coos to you to have a conversation.
And here’s Willie-Mae making friends with Sizzle, a lonesome special needs bachelor. (We call this pHarmony.)
The pigeon next door…
Sizzle & Willie-Mae, making friends
June 9, 2019 Update
Sizzle & Willie-Mae are married & adoptable together
May 28, 2019
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Freddie’s Story: An Almost-Survivor of Pigeon Racing
Freddie, so weak & exhausted, the day he was brought to us
It was a busy Sunday afternoon at work. I walked in to find a box on the table with a scared little face peering out of it.
My colleague and I carefully opened the box and got him out. He was a very big pigeon but I remember thinking how light he was for his size. I immediately got him some bird seed and water and watched him tuck into it with a voracious appetite. He only weighed 200 grams when he should have weighed 400. He was a domestic pigeon, emaciated from being lost with no one to feed him.
Freddie was very happy to finally have food & water
Once he was more comfortable, we started to check him over. We saw his leg bands and determined that he was a racing pigeon. The lovely gentleman that found him had mentioned that he could not fly. I felt worried as I knew that he was most likely lost and injured with babies or a mate somewhere far away.
I called the number on his leg band and offered to adopt him. The owner was happy with this as he did not want him if he was unable to fly.
It was straight to the bird vet on Wednesday. Luckily he seemed physically healthy, asides from being severely underweight. We decided to keep him in hospital to build his strength up and then do some tests.
His blood test results came in on Saturday night and it was not good. He was anaemic, liver enzymes elevated and had Haemoproteus (a blood parasite). Unfortunately treatment options were very limited as the medications needed were not available in Australia. We still had hope though as we heard some pigeons could still lead a relatively healthy life with this condition.
We made the decision on Sunday to bring him home, as we were worried he was getting stressed and overwhelmed. We would continue supportive care at home and try to continue looking for other medications.
It was so wonderful having him back with us. My husband and I spent all afternoon holding him and telling him how much we loved him. We also named him Freddie, a name close to our hearts.
That night, he suddenly passed away in my arms. I cried and cried. One part of me felt silly for grieving. After all, I had only known him for a very short amount of time. But now I realise that this is what pigeons do; they touch our hearts in ways we cannot understand with their gentle and loving nature. I hope more people will have the honour of experiencing how special they are. I feel lucky to have had Freddie and I am glad that he passed away surrounded by love.
Rose, Ashley, Gwenn and Elizabeth from Palomacy provided me unwavering support and compassion during this difficult time. I will be forever grateful for all their help.
Hannah is a huge animal lover from down under (aka Australia).
Editor’s Note: Pigeon racing is a cruel “sport” in which many thousands of domestic Homer pigeons are bred, suffer and die trying to fly hundreds of miles back to their home so that humans can gamble on which might get home fastest. Learn more here.
May 17, 2019
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Palomacy Saved Sizzle (With Your Help)
Sizzle was depressed at the animal shelter
His little body told a sad story. He was brought into the shelter and surrendered by his owner on 4/20/19. No name, sex unknown, feathers thrashed, crawling with parasites, not-yet-diagnosed arthritis in both legs and with an untreated broken right ankle that had, over time, fused into an unuse-able infected, painful liability. He couldn’t walk but could scoot and fly a short distance.
At the shelter, the busted up Indian Fantail was named Sizzle and put up for adoption with a promise of medical treatment required. A volunteer gave him a mirror for company and to try and determine his sex. (Pigeons love mirrors, are proven to self-recognize in them and males usually can’t resist cooing at and showing off for their reflection. Females are most likely to just sit companionably close to their reflection.) Sizzle showed no response to the mirror at all suggesting he was either female, feeling poorly or both.
On 5/5, the volunteer, Lacy, reached out to Palomacy seeking help for Sizzle. She was worried about his prospects. When we heard about him, we were worried too. With his medical problems, Sizzle was more likely to get euthanized than adopted despite his wonderful pet potential. Special needs pigeons make lovely, charming and inspiring companions. They are very adaptable and can live long, happy, love-filled lives given the chance. We have seen special needs pigeons of all sorts- blind, crippled, paralyzed, neurologically impaired- thrive inspite of their challenges. There is a saying, “Pigeons bloom where planted” and it is true. Plus Palomacy has a motto: We don’t have to start with euthanasia.
Lacy writes, “When we first saw Sizzle, we knew he was very special. The shelter kept him warm and fed him, and as amicable as their efforts were, they did not understand his needs or know how to properly care for him. We reached out to Palomacy who accepted him with open arms and a promise to care for him the way he deserves and to treat him for his needs.”
On 5/8, Lacy and her fiance arranged for Sizzle to be released to them as a Palomacy rescue and then made the 200 mile round trip to deliver him to me.
Ben & Lacy brought Sizzle to Palomacy for foster & vet care
The minute he arrived and heard the other pigeons, he perked up and started cooing, declaring himself to be all man bird. He had been depressed at the shelter. Being around other pigeons is a great tonic for a depressed pigeon. I gave him a bath and after some time basking dry in the sun, settled him into his VIP cage in my special needs bird room.
Post-bath Sizzle drying himself in the sunshine
Sizzle admiring his reflection in his nice big mirror
On 5/10, I took him to Medical Center for Birds to see Dr. Gianopolous who admitted him for radiographs and wound care. There, we learned just how bad Sizzle’s broken but untreated ankle was. We could also see evidence of an old injury to his vertebrae as well as an unidentified mass that could be either kidney or testicle-related. Sizzle’s not had the easiest life so far but we are going to give him his best life going forward, for as long as he has.
Dr. Gianopolous meets, exams & falls in love with Sizzle
Sizzle’s radiograph shows arthritis, a badly broken fused ankle & more
This is what happens to a bird with a badly broken, untreated ankle
Sizzle’s infected pressure sore (from bearing weight on his fused ankle rather than foot) after wound care & before bandaging
I picked him up on 5/13 and brought him back to foster with me while we figure out the right long-term placement for him. Sizzle is great company and a very good patient, easy to medicate twice daily. He’d do best indoors as a pampered family pet or in a small aviary with a mate or gentle flock. Please let us know if you think you might be the person Sizzle is looking for.
Ambitious Sizzle fell in love with this giant portrait of dove Lily
Sizzle hanging out with me on my couch desk
And of course, dear Sizzle’s story is just one of many. Just since 5/5, we’ve also taken two juvenile King pigeons, Handsome and Beautiful and two doves, Fran and Ziti, into our care; we are coordinating the rescue of another not-yet-named stray dove; placed single female pigeon Flapjack in a forever home with rescued and no-longer-lonesome mate Super Lucy; rescued Iggy the stray Fantail; rescued, around-the-clock cared for and are mourning the deaths of two grieviously injured and terribly missed little pigeons, Patience and Ember; provided daily care for 140 fostered birds and advised on how to rescue and help almost 100 other pigeons and doves in need all over the country and beyond. And if we had more resources, we could be doing more.
There is a huge need for Palomacy! There are so many more people who are breeding, using and endangering these birds for their hobbies, sports and businesses than there are resources to help the inevitably lost and injured. We rescuers are vastly outnumbered and we need all the support you can offer. Thank you for donating to Palomacy! Thank you for volunteering and adopting and sharing and for all you are doing in your own world to help these sweet birds. You are making a difference!
Learn more about how to foster or adopt
Donate to support Palomacy’s work
Join our online Palomacy Group to get involved
Sizzle thanks you for saving him
May 16, 2019
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Pepper’s Story
You’re safe now, Pepper
Fantail Opal & High Flyer Pepper wintered indoors
While the rest of the flock enjoyed their big, beautiful aviary
Rescued pigeons cozy in their enclosed portion of the aviary
Snowy & Pepper made friends fast
Pepper proudly sitting on the egg Snowy laid (*which will be switched out for a fake egg to prevent hatching)
*Because there are far too many unreleasable pigeons already in need of homes, real eggs must be switched out with fakes to prevent hatching. With the overwhelming number of “surplus” pigeons, there is no ethical way to permit breeding.
Pigeon foot prints tell stories in the snow
Carol built this amazing aviary on to her house to help care for rescued, unreleasable pigeons
Carol’s love of birds, and taking care of them, has kept her younger than her years. Actively involved with parrots for over thirty years, she did outreach programs to promote better understanding and care of captive, exotic birds. She is retired from the medical profession but has run a bird-sitting business for quite some time. Three years ago, an injured Homer was brought to her and now pigeons are a huge part of her indoor flock. Cockatoos, Bourkes Parakeets and any number of different boarding bird species fill her life and home. Her pigeons now number seventeen rescues. The pigeons are not caged and enjoy the freedom of a large bird room and often frequent visits around the home, obviously looking for her. She enjoyed a loving marriage for 41 years, has two grown children and four grandchildren. Now, as a widow, her time is spent caring for her birds, her gardens and her home.
May 1, 2019
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on “I Fell in Love Instantly”
The many pigeons at Piazza San Marcos (photographer unknown)
One of my favorite memories ever was being 10, free, and feeding the masses of pigeons of Piazzo San Marco. Aptly dressed in a yellow puffy coat, pigeons were descending on me from all sides to feed on the corn in my hands and to hopefully explore my jacket. Fast forward about 18 years. Pigeons have always been a fascination to me. Exotic birds to this suburban kid, I had proudly put self made pigeon posters in my college dorm and then my first office. Pigeons were always associated with a lighter, warmer, cozy time in my life. I got older though. And life got heavier. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and two bad things happened back to back at the end of 2017 and beginning of 2018. Diagnosed with PTSD and its friends severe depression and severe anxiety, I was a different person. To get through it I had to tap into something, anything happy. It all started with the pigeons on the balcony. Their cooing and predictable schedule gave me reassurance. We became fast friends when I started feeding them. Soon, it became normal to eat breakfast and lunch with the pigeon couple. They cheered me on with their coos and made me keep a normal human schedule and get to my job on time. And that got me to tap into that Venice memory. Soon, I was looking up if pigeons could be pets because the balcony pigeons, while feral, were so sociable. I soon found Palomacy. My boyfriend took me to an event they had in Japantown in August of 2018. That’s where I met Elizabeth, Borealis, and Cadence. Cadence was a roller pigeon who survived a hawk attack and Borealis was her grounded husband. I fell in love instantly. I just couldn’t get them off my mind. I tried to go to as many events as I could just to see them. I read their stories online. I showed off their pictures.
Ari & Ilya with Cadence August 2018
After many conversations, I convinced my parents to adopt Cadence and Borealis. We all–me, my parents, Cadence, and Borealis–did the big drive home from SF to Dallas, TX to make it in time for Christmas. I’m really grateful for Elizabeth and Palomacy because they helped make my pigeon dreams a reality.
Borealis & Cadence
Ari & Cadence
Elizabeth was so warm and welcoming and showed me the ropes of pigeon care–what they eat, how to put on pigeon pants, what a pigeon home should look like, what a healthy pigeon looks like, what an unhealthy pigeon looks like, how to travel with a pigeon, how to handle a pigeon, the list goes on and on. She checked in on us before, during, and after the drive to make sure everyone was adjusting well. I really have never met someone or worked with an organization that cared so deeply for their cause. No question was stupid. No concern was ignored.
Cadence & Borealis- home!
I loved my time with Cadence and Borealis so much that when I came back to SF, Elizabeth let me foster a pigeon couple, Gypsy and Fish. Registered as ESA, they live in my bedroom in my apartment. They’ve been amazing companions, they’ve helped me keep a schedule, they get me emotionally ready to get out of bed. I can’t imagine life without them.
Ari welcomes Fish & Gypsy
Gypsy & Fish wearing their Avian Flight Suits (pigeon pants)
And without fail, Palomacy and Elizabeth have been here to hold my hand and answer my questions. And it’s not just Elizabeth. Palomacy itself provides a lot of literature to educate new pigeon parents on the basics and the intricacies of life with pigeon. On top of that, Palomacy has a fantastic network of pigeon parents (foster or adopted) and experts. I can literally ask any question from pigeon healthcare to ESA housing rights and someone will answer or will find someone to answer me. I’ve never felt more supported when adopting an animal. I wish all animal rescues operated like this.
Palomacy does a great job at pigeon advocacy as well. The Palomacy crew gets out into the community to reach all kinds of people to not only debunk the trash dove stereotype but to also open people’s mind to considering these birds as pets and family.
Ari & Gypsy volunteering at an outreach event
Outreach ambassador Gypsy making a new friend for pigeons
Palomacy is a fantastic group and I truly appreciate what they do for the environment and our community.
Originally posted by Ari Wee as a review on Great Nonprofits 5/1/2019
March 15, 2019
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Shining Examples
Rose & Alicia meet
I’ve always loved birds. There’s such a sense of freedom about them. For birds, the sky isn’t the limit, the sky is the norm. Every time I pick up a pencil or a pen or a paintbrush, I always draw wings.
Years ago I consigned myself to the fact that I’d never have birds as pets. I didn’t feel like I could offer a parrot the kind of enrichment and engagement they needed, and the smaller birds like finches and canaries never quite caught my fancy. Birds, in my mind, were best enjoyed by watching them wing their way between trees.
Around eight months ago, I stumbled across a blogger who kept pigeons and doves as pets. I was floored by what I learned, to say the least. The blogger said that pigeons made tight emotional bonds within a complex social structure that was rich enough to even include humans. She said that pigeons were incredibly smart and could even be used as assistance animals. I dove (pun intended) into research and came out the other side with a massive stack of information from a bird rescue called Palomacy.
Just this last month I was finally able to bring a pair of beautiful pigeons into my home for a short while thanks to Palomacy. I was worried about a lot of factors–would my allergies tolerate pigeons? Would my housemate tolerate pigeons? Palomacy’s Elizabeth helped walk me through all of my questions and concerns and specifically tailored my foster experience to be the best possible for me and the birds.
Jake, Rose & Alicia
Elizabeth paired me up with two married pigeons named Jake and Rose, who were blinded some time ago when someone dyed them green for a “dove release” event. We put them in pigeon pants (an excellent invention!) and let them roam around my apartment while we talked about how to take care of them. Right from the start the birds were wonderfully patient and tolerant. They were so brave and curious and Rose went right away to inspect my two rabbits in spite of the rabbit’s offended (foot thumping) remarks.
Rose investigating the source of the thumping.
Across the week that I shared my home with Jake and Rose, they surprised me at every turn. They learned entire phrases and expressed preferences when asked. Saying “I’m going to pick you up now” resulted in resigned acceptance while their responses to “can I pet you?” depended on their mood. They could tell the difference between when I was asking them something versus telling them. Their intelligence and understanding astounded me.
Jake meeting Piebald the rabbit.
Both Jake and Rose were incredibly flexible, adapting quickly to any new situation. Jake happily perched on my hand when I introduced him to my brother’s coworkers, and Rose took any and every opportunity to explore anywhere she could reach. They were both delighted when I filled up the bath with a few inches of water and let them play. Afterwards, they snuggled up on a warm towel and gave me a wonderful show of feather fluffing and preening.
Rose contentedly loafing post-bath.
Jake would sing little love songs to his wife, who in turn would snuggle and offer kisses. They would help each other navigate–when Jake kept pecking outside the food bowl Rose put her head underneath his to guide him to where the seeds were. Whenever Rose would go on an adventure in my apartment, the more reluctant Jake would coo gently to tell his wife where he was so she could come back to him. Even though they were blind, they didn’t let it stop them from living full and beautiful lives.
Married couple kisses
Jake and Rose are two of the many pigeons available for adoption from Palomacy. They’re shining examples of the capacity pigeons have for love and adaptability. So many of these birds have been injured or abandoned or abused, and yet they’re still willing to reach out and engage in new relationships with anyone who will give them love and understanding. If you’ve ever thought about adding a new animal to your heart and home, I would highly recommend a pigeon. I would also highly recommend adopting from Palomacy–working with Palomacy has genuinely been the best rescue experience I’ve ever had, and I’ve worked with countless rescues. Palomacy truly understands the value of these birds and the people who bring them into their lives.
February 21, 2019
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Rescuing the All Star Doves
In transit- six of the 28 All Star Ringneck doves rescued
On November 28th, Palomacy received word that 28 domestic Ringneck doves (all descended from five) needed rescue as their person, a resident of the All Star Trailer Park, could no longer care for them. They were all living outside, crowded into unsafe cages so it was 911.
This flimsy cage is a death trap, not at all safe for outside use!
The thing is, Palomacy foster homes and aviaries are always full up. The number of birds needing rescue is never-ending and our rescue is small. We don’t have a sanctuary or a shelter facility though we very much need one. With every available foster space filled with the 130 birds already in our care, we didn’t have any place to house a flock of 28 additional birds. The one shelter in the area that accepts birds was maxed out with a recent intake of 20 ducks.
We networked and scrambled to try and find safe places for the doves to land. We got a couple of leads for potential aviaries and our current dove fosters looked to see how they could squeeze in a few more.
On December 2nd, super volunteer Jill (an all star in her own right) loaded up her car with carriers and made the 100 mile (one way) trip to go get the doves. We didn’t know where they were going to go, only that they had to be rescued. While she was making the drive, dove foster volunteers Liese, Faye and Emma were preparing to fit a couple in here and there and I was working on the aviary leads.
Crates loaded, on the way to rescue
We never know what we’ll find when we head out on a rescue. The All Star doves were living in terrible, unsafe and overcrowded conditions. And all except for one little splay-legged dove now named Jade, were in perfect shape. Strong, healthy birds, They are what we call a “survival of the fittest” flock. Birds that were injured, ill or weak died while the strong survived. Some had gotten out now and then and been caught and killed but miraculously the cats, raccoons, raptors and rats hadn’t yet killed them all in their their flimsy cages.
Unprotected from predators, the doves were living on borrowed time.
Jill was welcomed and helped by Genevieve, the kind neighbor who had been feeding the All Star doves and who reached out to find help for them. They worked carefully to catch and transfer each dove from the cages to carriers, under the curious watch of the cat locals.
Genevieve was very happy to see the doves rescued
And then another miracle. One of our aviary leads became a real possibility! Robin, referred to us by a local wildlife rescuer, had a vacant aviary, was home and willing to quickly complete our screening process! By the time Jill had all the doves loaded up, I had a wonderful potential fosterer for her to go meet!
I have no idea what we would have done if not for Robin’s big, wonderful aviary and her immediate willingness to help us help these doves. She and husband Dean welcomed Jill and the All Stars. Together they reviewed Palomacy’s foster policies and assessed the aviary for safety enhancements the doves would need. A couple hours later, 16 incredibly lucky doves, who had never been outside of small cages, we’re stretching their wings and exploring their great big new foster aviary while their 12 friends rode along with Jill heading to the Bay Area to be fostered at her home in Sunol and in our Andy’s aviary in San Jose!
Robin & Dean emergency fostered 16 of the 28 doves
Jill to the rescue!
In the two and a half months since this rescue began, volunteers helped to catch, band, photograph, name and enter all 28 into our adoptable birds database so that they appear on all the pet search sites.
Volunteers Patti, Maryam, Jill, Cynthia & Robin catching, banding & naming doves
Doves banded so we can tell them apart
Dove cheat sheet
So far, nine of the All Stars- Piper, Pumpkin, Bossman, Georgia, Beau, Jasper, Ruby, Willow and Jade- have found their forever home with amazing adopter Angela!
Adopter Angela
Special needs dove Jade made a special friend
Kris
Jackpot
Dodger
McGyver
Ambrose
Beatrice
We still have 17 beautiful All Star doves eager to be adopted (in addition to the 20 doves we were already fostering) and though we no longer have the use of (traveling) Robin’s aviary, we’re making do with another smaller aviary (also heroically wrangled by Jill with ongoing assistance from Faye, Liese & Emma!) and a lot of creative dove tetris. Extra special thanks to Andy’s (Rescue) Pet Shop for so kindly hosting double aviaries & double foster dove flocks for us! We have 20 amazing, adoptable doves just waiting to meet you in San Jose.
Liese, Jill & Faye moving doves!
Two dove aviaries for double the fun at Andy’s Pet Shop in San Jose
Special delivery greens courtesy of Liese
Ambrose at Andy’s
Ambrose, Winner & Breeze
We are though, as you can imagine, still even fuller than overfull and so in urgent need of adopters (for both doves and pigeons) in the Northern California area and we know of lots of adoptable birds all over the country so we can help you to help birds wherever you might be. Learn more here.
Please help us to continue this life-saving, rescue gap-closing work! Adopt a lovely bird or two or ten! Foster, volunteer, donate. Share this story and your love for birds. They need our help and we need yours. Thank You!
January 14, 2019
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Star & Fizz: Survivors You Can Adopt!
Fizz & Star (rescued 12/8 & shown here after 11 days of recovering) beat the odds
Of these 5 “released”/dumped domestic pigeon youngsters at Powell Street BART station 12/8/18, only Fizz & Star are known to have survived
Star and Fizz are two of many domestic pigeons constantly being left at the San Francisco Powell Street BART station as if they could just join up with the free-living pigeons & be okay. Despite the fact that they are domestic. Completely lacking in survival skills. Descended from hundreds of generations of captive-bred pigeons. King pigeon fledgling Star was bred to be meat (squab), pulled out of his parents’ nest at just 28 days old & sold at a live poultry market to someone who thought releasing him to join the city pigeons would save him from getting eaten. It didn’t, at least not entirely. Before being rescued, he was caught by a hawk who started eating him alive, injuring him badly. Star got mega-lotto lucky and survived long enough to get rescued but most don’t.
Star & Fizz- weak, injured, emaciated, barely a month old
Wound on Star’s back 12/10, left by the hawk interrupted while eating him alive
Star’s healing wound at recheck on 12/19
Homing pigeon Fizz, descended from a long line of snow white pigeons, was bred for use in the “dove release” business but dumped/”set free” because of her black tail. The dove release business has no use for the multicolored pigeons that occasionaly hatch, despite their efforts to breed for all white all the time, and so they cull them. Some “hard cull” and kill the unwanted birds. Some “soft cull” and give them away or “release” them (which is usually a death sentence too since they can’t survive on their own and only a very lucky minority will live long enough to be rescued). Fizz was not even four weeks old and emaciated when she too got mega-lotto lucky and was rescued along with Star.
So these two youngsters, endangered by their exploiters, were (1) caught by animal rights activist Zephan Wood (while destringing the litter-entangled feet of the Powell Street BART station’s wild pigeons) and then (2) transported more than 100 miles roundtrip to Medical Center for Birds by fellow activist Rachel Ziegler where their urgent (3) medical care was (4) paid for by Palomacy’s generous donors before they were transferred, in very frail condition, to Carole Craig for (5) supportive medical foster care and from whose home they now need to be transferred into a longterm placement – (6) foster or forever. If not for Palomacy, the only option for these birds was to be taken to San Francisco’s open door shelter, Animal Care & Control, where Star and Fizz likely would have either died or been euthanized as most shelters are not yet providing avian vet care to injured birds. Shelters depend on rescue to save the birds. Palomacy is the only rescue dedicated to serving domestic pigeons and doves in the area (as well as being unique in the US) but in Northern California alone, there are hundreds of breeders and exploiters endangering many thousands of these birds every year so it is no surprise that we are so outnumbered, that we are always in need of more support, more funding, that we are always beyond full.
Star on the left, Fizz on the right at Medical Center for Birds 12/10
Their foster mum Carole, returning to Ireland in a few days, wrote this about them:
When Fizz and Star first arrived, fragile and bedraggled as they were, they reminded me of a comedy team. Here was this huge beautiful King pigeon, squeaking to beat the band, hiding behind a little white Homer, who was barely half his size. And the tiny Homer, Fizz, emaciated though she was, would step to the front and beat off all comers with her wings.
It was funny and it was beautiful. I fell in love with Fizz because of her (I hope we realize that gender assignments are provisional) courage and because she took such good care of the frightened big baby that was Star.
He had reason to be frightened. When he was rescued by the wonderful string foot group, he was discovered to have a wound that stretched from the back of his head, down his neck to his wings.
“Something,” said Palomacy’s Elizabeth Young when she came to meet them, “had been eating him alive.” She was right, there was no flesh over the wound, only something like two square inches of raw, red, muscle-like tissue. They were so young, so thin and had been through so much, Elizabeth was not certain they would make it.
However Star, the one we were both most worried about, turned out to be a trooper. He took three different medications twice a day squirted down his throat, and silver sulfadiazine smeared on to his wound without complaint. The only thing he complained about was being separated from his beloved Fizz. Although he was the first to self-feed, when the seeds were put down he would squeak and nuzzle Fizz, trying to get her to open her mouth like a parent. When Fizz hopped to one perch, Star followed. When Fizz beat her wings for exercise, Star did the same. When Fizz began to try to bathe in their drinking water, Star got wet as well. You could see him watching her out of the corner of his eyes before he too submerged his head.
Growing fast, they are both still shy. Fizz will still bat at my hand when it goes into the cage but now I can pick her up and rub her tummy. I think she likes it although as soon as she is set down she walks, rather huffily, back into the cage. Star, who still has to have cream spread on his healing back, is less trustful, but does tolerate ear rubs.
Physically, they are beautiful young birds but I feel that in their friendship, in Fizz’s protectiveness, in Star’s love of Fizz, something even more beautiful shines through.
Foster mum Carole & Fizz
Little Fizz protecting big Star
Bigger & one week older Star (in back) always protected by brave little Fizz (on their way to 12/19 vet recheck)
Protective Fizz in front looks big but is actually much smaller than Star
Dr. Speer & Fizz
Star & Fizz healing & growing up strong
These two beautiful, smart, brave, funny childhood sweetheart birds are ready to start their happily ever after story. They need a long term placement to transfer to as soon as possible. Dramatic Star is 9 weeks old and protective Fizz is about 8 weeks. Star, once fully recovered from his ordeal, will be a big, beautiful all white King pigeon and Fizz the Homer will be sleek and petite with a dramatic black tail to highlight her snow whiteness. We don’t know their genders for sure yet (50/50 chance we’ve guessed correctly) but time will tell. We’ll keep them together unless, as they mature, they want to break up (though they seem pretty likely to stay bonded). Rescued pigeons make amazing pets (our fosters and adopters love their birds!) and they are easy to care for indoors with the family or outside in a predator and rodent-proof aviary. These pigeons can never be released. They are dependent on people for their survival and so the joy of having them is not diminished by guilt. They can’t be free. They can be yours. Learn about caring for pet pigeons here and apply to foster or adopt here. Join our Palomacy Help Group for lots of support and answers to all your questions (pigeons can wear pants?). And you can always email Elizabeth@PigeonRescue.org.
Fizz and Star are both doing great! They are totally healed and growing up. After a whirlwind romance with Glory, Fizz has married gentle feral Beck and they are adoptable as a couple. Don’t worry about Star though as all is well. She (?) is loving doing outreach and making lots of friends- human and avian.
Newlyweds Beck & Fizz
Fizz preens Beck while bachelors Kensey & Marshmallow watch wistfully
Brian & Star at UPC’s 2019 Conscious Eating Conference
No surprise- Star is a rockstar diplomat!
December 23, 2018
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Pearl’s Story
My name is Cynthia and I am a volunteer for Palomacy, a small nonprofit project that saves the lives of at-risk domestic pigeons and doves, educates the public, and finds homes for rescued birds 365 days a year. This is the story of a little girl, a little bird, and how our family got involved with this extraordinary organization.
We have a child whose interests tend to be narrow, but deep. At some point in the first grade, she became intrigued with pigeons. She had a knack for earning the trust of feral pigeons; she was adept at catching them and would check them for stringfoot or other injuries. Some became particular friends and would wait for her to rush home from school, drop her backpack, and scamper into the backyard to greet them. She continuously sought connection with these bright, friendly birds.
Ivory McScaredyCat & his special friend Maryam
How she wanted a pet pigeon! She begged for a pigeon every day. We soon learned that there are many breeds of pigeons that can be purchased from fanciers. But I believe in the adopt-don’t-shop ethic and was relieved to find Palomacy’s website. Our girl spent hours looking at all the pictures of beautiful, adoptable birds in need of homes, and her talk was all about aviaries and pigeon pants. Now, to be perfectly honest, I doubted we would ever actually get a pigeon. I had steadfastly withstood the dog campaign of the previous year, after all and I expected this to pass as well. But she kept it up for a year and a half, asking every day: Can we? Please? When??
And then, a week before her birthday, something like a miracle happened. A big white King pigeon crash-landed – ker-plunk! – in our backyard. She swooped it up and rushed inside. The bird had clearly been used for a “wedding dove” release: the names of the bride and groom were written on her wings in bold black marker, and a big heart was drawn on her breast. She was young, hungry, and scared.
Maryam with Pearl the day she arrived
Fortunately, we knew just where to turn for help! Elizabeth Young, the founder of Palomacy, drove out to our house. She gave the bird, now named Pearl, a health check and taught us how to do the same, and while she worked she told us the probable story of Pearl’s life: bred on a squab farm, taken from her parents at four weeks old, trucked to a live poultry market in a crate crammed with other frightened birds, bought by someone who wanted a pretty bird at their wedding, scribbled on, and thrown into the air. Birds like these haven’t a clue about how to survive or find food. When she came to us, Pearl was still a squeaking youngster, and we felt so relieved when Elizabeth pronounced her to be in excellent health, considering how she had been treated.
Fast forward to the present: we now have a fine predator-proof aviary, built with Palomacy’s guidance. Pearl is happily married to Rango, an English Carrier pigeon who was surrendered to Palomacy after a raccoon slaughtered the owner’s other pigeons in an unsafe aviary. Pearl and Rango share their home with two foster King pigeons, Mirabelle and Large Marge. Our delighted child spends time with her little flock every day and finds their antics endlessly entertaining. She continues to do rescue work with feral pigeons, and to represent Palomacy at outreach events.
Pearl & her husbird Rango
A few months ago, I started helping with Palomacy’s Facebook help group, and while fielding requests from all over the world, I’ve realized just how incredibly blessed we are to have Palomacy as a local resource. In many places there is simply no one to help: no shelters that will take pigeons, no wildlife rescues willing to treat them, and often no local veterinarians who specialize in treating birds.
No one else is doing the work Palomacy does.Palomacy’s volunteers have a wealth of knowledge and experience and share their time and resources generously. They coordinate rescues on the ground, help get pigeons from shelters to homes, aid rescuers in finding qualified vet care, and coach rescuers as they learn how to provide secure, loving homes for the birds they have saved.
Pearl & Maryam
But Palomacy can’t do any of it without you! Our work is volunteer-run and donation-funded. Be part of this important work with a donation that will help hundreds of birds – and the people who love them!
It costs Palomacy an average of $342 a day to rescue, provide quality care and rehome 150 birds at a time, while assisting countless others with advice and resources. Palomacy supports 65 dedicated volunteers, provides life-saving avian vet care, educates shelters and the wider public, and responds to requests for assistance every day of the year. With your support, we are doing amazing work. Please make a generous donation today and, if you’re not already a monthly donor, sign up to make a recurring monthly donation at PigeonRescue.org. You can be sure that your support will make a difference. It makes all the difference to each individual bird when you help to save their life.
To close out 2018 and start this new year of rescuing, rehabbing and rehoming, we need to raise nearly $18,000. If 500 of our supporters donate $36 each, we will reach that goal. Or if five people each donate $1000, ten donate $500, and three hundred donate $27, we will. There are lots of ways for us to meet this need and every one of them depends on you. Please, donate generously and help Palomacy to continue our unprecedented work.
Thank you!
Cynthia