Jeff & Roxanne with their pet pigeons Baby & Matilda
While our adopters love their pigeons and doves, it is not easy getting the birds adopted. Many people would be thrilled to have a backyard aviary but most don’t know how to go about creating one and buying pre-made enclosures can be tricky. They can be expensive, too small, unsafe, ill-designed (see our recommendations here). So, after years of grappling with this barrier, we are exploring a brand new way of overcoming it.
Last month, with the help of our friend Nancy Powell, an expert in both building and bird rescue, our aviary panel kit #1 was created. It is designed specifically for the needs of Palomacy’s fosters and adopters and it’s wonderful!
Nancy & Nieve
Sketch of the front view
We had the pleasure of putting the aviary panel kit together Saturday on the backyard deck of adopters Roxanne & Jeff. It is built from sixteen 3′ x 6′ panels that are easy to transport, easy to assemble and easy to finish with aviary furnishings (such as bird feet-friendly flooring, partial siding & roof, shelves, nest boxes, etc.). Using all the panels, it creates a safe, secure, pigeon or dove-friendly enclosure that is 9′ x 6′ x 6′ ( a good size for up to 8 pigeons or 16 doves). Thanks to the modular panel design, it can easily be reconfigured into a smaller size (or expanded) or disassembled and relocated if needed. The cost to buy it: $950.
Roxanne & Jeff admiring the bottom panels
Jeff (with Baby), Roxanne, Steph (with Matilda) & Paul in the assembled (but not yet complete) aviary
We are so excited about this potentially game-changing strategy to increase adoptions. (And adoptions do need to be increased! There are a lot of beautiful, innocent, easy-to-love birds in need of homes. More than we are able to keep up with at our current rate.)
Aviary panel kit #2 is going to be built to help farmed animal sanctuary Animal Place begin to help rescued King Pigeons (survivors of the squab industry and inhumane “releases”) to be adopted. This partnership, bringing together little Palomacy’s unique expertise in caring for and placing King Pigeons with Animal Place’s far greater depth of experience and range of resources, is a huge step forward on the road to saving more lives of these overlooked and under-served birds. (Read more: Palomacy & Animal Place Working Together to Help King Pigeons)
Rescue Ranch Manager Jan & Dylan visiting chickens
Founded in 1989, Animal Place’s California animal shelters fills a much-needed niche of farm animal rescue, sanctuary, education and adoption. Animal Place is one of the largest and oldest animal sanctuaries in the nation. We operate a 600-acre sanctuary in Grass Valley, California, and a 60-acre animal shelter in Vacaville, California. Animal Place extends compassion to all life with a special emphasis on farmed animals. This is executed by providing permanent sanctuary, education, legislation and appropriate placement of needy animals.
Site of Animal Place’s Rescue Ranch King Pigeon Aviary to be!
We’re crowdfunding an aviary to help Animal Place save the lives of King Pigeons!
So far, we’re 24% of the way towards our fundraising goal. Please click here to help us reach it.
Our hope is that not only can we make this aviary dream come true but that we can then start fundraising to build aviary panel kit #3. We already have a place for it!
Debbie marks our intended site for aviary panel kit #3!
And, if we are able to raise the needed funds, we plan to create loaner aviary panel kits for qualifying foster volunteers too. Also, as we get the plans written out, we will make the information- the materials lists and how-tos and videos- available for free online so that everybody can repliciate this life-saving solution for birds in need.
If you’re a Bay Area builder or a funder who’d be interested in helping with this life-saving project, please contact Elizabeth.
And stay tuned for lots more news about this super exciting leap forward in helping pigeons get home!
Thank you for all of your support.
Nieve & Duke, survivors of the squab industry, inhumane release and an overfull shelter thank you for saving them!
August 5, 2015
by Elizabeth Comments Off on Remembering Gurumina
Hatched ?
Rescued 9/7/07
Adopted 10/21/07
Died 7/23/15
Gurumina is the bird that started all this.
My first memory of Gurumina is that she was hopping up and down in a stainless steel cage at the San Francisco Animal Care & Control shelter (SFACC) where I was a newbie volunteer in the “Smalls Room”. She sounded like a bowling ball in a dryer.
The Smalls Room at SFACC
I had seen a couple of these big white birds at the shelter and they always just stood stock still, clearly trying to be invisible. And for the most part, they were. Shelter staff & volunteers didn’t really know what to do with them. Unlike all the other animals, they weren’t taken out of their cages, socialized, given names, photographed, posted on websites…
And so I really wasn’t sure why Gurumina was hopping up and down nor what would happen if I opened her cage. I had finished up my volunteer shift- having socialized with all the other animals- and was about to go home. I remember feeling very unsure about opening her cage. I didn’t want her flying around the room, banging into the window, hurting herself, embarrassing me.
When I did open her cage and offered her my hand, she stepped out onto it in the most lady-like way. The hopping had been her way of asking for attention. Once given it, she was sublimely calm. And big! And heavy for a bird, I remember thinking. I didn’t really know what to do but I walked around with her standing on my hand and introduced her to all the bunnies. She seemed to enjoy meeting them. And they her. She was incredibly charming.
Gurumina
Gurumina was different from the other King Pigeons who routinely arrived at SFACC. She wasn’t a young, terrified, traumatized squab. She had been someone’s pet who had been surrendered. That’s why she had a name. She was a King Pigeon who had been socialized. She was clearly an awesome pet. Smart, loving, quiet. So elegant.
Gurumina inspired me to start learning about King Pigeons. Despite all my years of studying animals, I’d never before heard of King Pigeons. Most people haven’t.
King Pigeons are bred for meat (squab) and the vast majority go straight from their nest* to the processing plant and from there to a fancy plate. (*They are slaughtered at 4 weeks of age, before they fledge, for maximum tenderness.) But some King Pigeons are sold live at poultry markets where people sometimes buy and “release” them in a ceremony or in a misguided effort to liberate them (release equals death for these domestic birds). A lucky few survive long enough to get taken to an animal shelter where, if they’re not adopted or have no rescue to help them, they’re killed.
When Gurumina needed to be rescued, I took her into my home and fostered her. I knew I could get her adopted and, with help from Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue, I was able to find her a wonderful forever home. She was adopted on 10/21/07.
I hadn’t meant to start a rescue. In fact, the prospect of doing something like that was one of my biggest fears. I had, for all of my life, been more interested in and drawn to animals than anything else. From the time I was very young, people would always say, “Oh, you’re going to be a vet someday” but I always knew that I could never be a vet. Even in grade school, I knew that I never wanted to be in any kind of business with animals. They are too vulnerable to us. We are too unkind. I couldn’t bear what animals endure. And so I had adopted and rescued privately, but avoided any other involvement. But, in 2007, I was wondering, since I was still so drawn to animals, if maybe I had made a mistake. And so I had very cautiously dipped my toe in by signing up as a shelter volunteer. All I was going to do was socialize the Smalls for an hour or two a week. I was not going to let myself go over the animal cliff…
Because of Gurumina, I recognized who the next King Pigeon was when she arrived at the shelter. Though she was dirty, sick, and terrified, I knew her amazing pet potential. I named her Rocky because when she punched out with her wing to warn me away (something we call wing fu), she always used her left. She wing-fu’d southpaw.
Rocky, 4 weeks old at SFACC
Because of what Gurumina taught me, I, despite trepidation about the cliff I was stepping off, rescued Rocky. And then Sugar. And Stretch. And Jesse… And within a couple of months, MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue was hatched and it has since grown into Palomacy Pigeon & Dove Adoptions. To date, we have saved more than 600 lives and helped countless others. We provide coaching and referrals to people all over the country and beyond. We are helping pigeons and doves and the people that love them today because of Gurumina. We are creating awareness and inspiring compassion. We may be the world’s first (and only?) adoption agency devoted to pigeon and doves.
On July 23rd, 2015, Gurumina died peacefully at home. She was a cherished pet. She is mourned. She will never be forgotten.
Gurumina
Gurumina’s My Mutt Poster
Gurumina & her adopter Shaf visit my brand new aviary 2008
Shaf & Gurumina volunteering at Filoli outreach 2010
Gurumina & I 2010
By Elizabeth Young, founder & executive director Palomacy Pigeon & Dove Adoptions
When Natalia saw the nervous, hungry white pigeon looking so lost on a busy San Francisco sidewalk, she knew that the bird needed help. It wasn’t until after the fact that she learned the King Pigeon she rescued and named Snezhok (snowball in Russian), was only four weeks old, a survivor of both the squab industry and an inhumane “release” and completely unable to survive in the wild.
Domestic and defenseless, Snezhok was incredibly lucky to be rescued into a loving family and given a home. Natalia writes, “Snezhok has the most loyal but at the same time independent spirit. Surprisingly for a bird, who has no means of defense and does not fly very well, she is not afraid of anything and faces challenges fearlessly: from the streets of San Francisco, where we found her abandoned and starved but her spirit still unbroken – to living with humans and adjusting to other pets.”
We created Palomacy to help birds like Snezhok and people like Natalia. There was a deadly gap in the animal welfare community so, while domestic (unreleasable) pigeons were going in to animal shelters, they weren’t getting out.
The shelters didn’t know who these birds were, they didn’t post them to their websites nor include them in events. People didn’t know they existed and they didn’t get adopted. Yet all the other animals had at least some hope of getting adopted or rescued. Just not the pigeons. Strange.
Pigeons are among the most commonplace of animals in our lives. Our cities have flocks of wild Rock Pigeons. There are countless pigeon breeders, hobbyists, fanciers and squab producers hatching millions of domestic pigeons in the US alone every year. Plenty of people are seeing pigeons but somehow they aren’t really seeing pigeons.
But those of us who have seen the beauty, the intelligence, the soulfulness of these earthbound angels, we know they deserve compassion.
And so, we are super excited to have not only Natalia & Snezhok’s photo by Elisabeth Millay Young selected as a semi-finalist in GlobalGiving’s 2015 Photo Contest, but also a portrait of pigeon-racing survivor Indy as well! This is an extraordinary opportunity for us to show who pigeons really are.
Pigeon-racing survivor Indy, photographed by Kira Stackhouse, is an incredibly gentle, sweet bird. As a racing pigeon, he was bred to be a “champion”, taken hundreds of miles from his home and “tossed” with thousands of other pigeons to begin the desperate “race” to find his way back home. Despite flying their hearts out, most never do. Indy was lucky in that, when he was grounded with both a broken wing and broken leg, he was found by a well-meaning person rather than a hungry predator, but he wasn’t out of danger. He was kept unprotected in a backyard, given no vet care and he likely would have died there if he hadn’t been rescued by Palomacy. Now he has a happy life ahead of him.
Rescued Pigeon Racing Survivor Indy photographed by Kira Stackhouse
Please vote for your favorite photo (shot pro bono by professional photographers who support our work) and invite all your friends to vote for us in the GlobalGiving Photo Contest! First prize is $1000 for the rescue! Voting starts Monday, August 3rd at 9 AM PT and the photo with the most votes this Friday at 9 AM PT will win $1000. (Only your first vote will count and email confirmation is required.)
Please help people to see who pigeons really are. Pigeons are worthy of our compassion.
Thank you for all of your support!
July 21, 2015
by Elizabeth Comments Off on Why “Dove Releases” Are Cruel
Warning: Includes graphic photos showing what happens to “released doves”.
When you hear about a “dove release” or “wedding doves,” it usually means that Homing pigeons, selectively bred to be all white, small and dove-like, were rented so as to be ceremoniously released. (For some reason, they don’t call them “wedding pigeons”. They exploit the homing abilities of pigeons while calling them doves for PR purposes.)
Most will survive the flight home.
Homing pigeons released as “wedding doves.” Photo by Jim Kennedy
But the reality is very different from the fantasy.
The “dove release” business perpetuates the idea that white birds can be “set free” and they will just fly away and live happily ever after. Even under the best of circumstances, trained “wedding doves” are hurt, lost and killed trying to get home. It’s even worse when do-it-yourselfers mistakenly buy white Ringneck Doves and King Pigeons to release. Nearly all of them will die.
“Wedding dove” lucky to be rescued & taken to a shelter
Please help counteract this fantasy with the reality. We have to speak up for the birds because no one is listening to them. We strongly recommend against using these gentle, loyal birds in this uncaring way.
A nice employee at Evergreen Cemetery called to tell me that managed he to save six of a flock of white doves “released” at a funeral. The mourners had to pull them out of the cage and throw them in the air but even so, only a few flew anywhere (they knew they weren’t safe). One was hawk-struck, another run over… others flew away (but they won’t survive). We all know people who will be having weddings, funerals, graduations and other ceremonies and rituals. Please help educate people to how cruel and unfair this is to the birds.
Photo by Carol Fletcher taken at Heart & Soul Animal Sanctuary
Never buy and release birds for weddings, funerals, prayers, blessings, or other ceremonies — or as a “kind act.” White doves and other birds (like King Pigeons) sold to you have no survival skills and will suffer and die, bringing neither joy nor honor to any occasion. Releasing store-bought birds is both cruel and illegal.
Four-week old King Pigeons rescued after their “release” at a funeral
And even when done “properly,” by hiring a professional to release trained white Homing Pigeons, casualties are common. Note: We recommend against all releases of domestic birds. We have rescued plenty of lost and/or injured white Homing Pigeons too.
See the heartbreaking story of Pope Francis’ 2014 “release” in the Ukraine here.
This custom needs to end
Predators recognize what we do not
Domestic Homing Pigeons are easy prey
Domestic birds should never be “released”
This happens to a lot of the “doves” (Homing Pigeons) released by Popes and others. Here’s a “symbolic appeal for peace” by Pope Benedict XVI in 2013.
Pope Benedict XVI
Wild vs. Domestic is not “nature”
The odds of survival for true doves (white Ringneck Doves) & King Pigeons are much worse. Whether they are being used for a ceremony or misguidedly “set free”, most of them don’t survive long enough to be rescued. When unprotected, their life span, whether in the city, a park or the wild, is hours to days. These King Pigeons youngsters (sold as squab at a live poultry market and “set free” in Golden Gate Park) beat the terrible odds and were rescued.
Baby King Pigeons “released”
Domestic King Pigeons have no survival skills
These were very lucky to be rescued
And even if they lucky enough to be rescued, they are still at risk. Many are weak, sick, traumatized, injured as well as at risk of being killed in overfull shelters. After watching yet another one of these innocent victims die, I posted this on Craigslist:
It says, To the well-intended but misguided people who buy baby King Pigeons (squab) from live poultry markets and “set them free”- don’t! You are just killing them in another (and not very merciful) way. These baby birds have no survival skills and, even if they were to live to adulthood, they still won’t. They are DOMESTIC. They are preyed upon by hawks, gulls, ravens, dogs, cats, raccoons, mean people and hit by cars if they don’t starve or die from disease. (If you eat squab- beware. The majority of the baby king pigeons- squab- that live long enough to make it to an animal shelter are sick- from Trichomoniasis, PMV, chlamydophilia and more.)
I was contacted by the shelter again today to try and save one of these poor, sweet creatures but she died within the hour. She was 5 weeks old. If you want to help King Pigeons, do something meaningful. Volunteer at the shelter. Protest live animal sales. Donate. Adopt some and provide them with the decent life they deserve. But please please please don’t buy them and “set them free” in the parks thinking you have helped them. You haven’t. You have put them in an even worse predicament than they already were (as bad as that was).
Here’s a picture of today’s victim (found in MacLaren Park a week ago and kept until her inability to breathe got her finder to take her to the animal shelter). Despite our best efforts, she was too sick to be saved. And here are pictures of what happens to many of the others “set free”.
Please- RELEASING BABY KING PIGEONS (AND ANY OTHER DOMESTIC ANIMAL) IS MURDER. Don’t do it.
“Released” domestic birds have no survival skills. They are killed by hawks, ravens, gulls, dogs, cats, raccoons, mean people and cars.
King Pigeons “released” at Our lady of Peace Church
King Pigeon we spent hours trying but failed to rescue
Despite all the many birds we rescue, this is the fate of many that get “released”.
Domestic birds are killed by all kinds of predators
Originally published in the Marin Independent Journal on 7/16/2011
By Elizabeth Young
There is an epic but almost invisible drama at work in the San Francisco Bay Area. Every week, unbeknown to most, local animal shelters get in a couple of beautiful, smart, all-white birds called King Pigeons. Most arrive as babies, only four weeks old, and they are usually weak and hurt. The few survivors that make it to the shelters have beat astronomical odds and yet they face euthanasia as their likely fate, unless they are rescued and adopted.
When I started volunteering at my local animal shelter in 2007, I had never heard of a King Pigeon and I was surprised to learn that each week, these smart, gentle birds were found, wandering starved and often injured, in parks and around town. King Pigeons are not wild. They are a domestic breed raised for meat. King Pigeons are bred to be big (for maximum meat yield) and white (so their skin will be pink) and are factory-farmed or raised by backyard breeders. Squab (which means baby pigeon) is served in French, Italian, American Haute and Asian cuisines and is sold live at poultry markets which is how a few king pigeons wind up in animal shelters rather than on a dinner plate.
Baby pigeons are cute and, while most that are sold live are butchered and eaten, some are purchased and “set free” by well-meaning but misguided people. King Pigeons have no survival skills and, with their bred-to-be-big bodies, never achieve the flight skills required to evade hawks, gulls and ravens. Their snow white feathers make them highly visible targets and their long history of domesticity has robbed them of their ability to find food and water and shelter. The “lucky” few that escape the butcher are usually killed by dogs, cats, birds of prey, cars and even mean people, often within hours of their “release”. How cruel that their brief freedom ends so tragically.
Yet, miraculously, a very few do survive long enough to make it to an animal shelter. Unfortunately and ironically, despite having escaped the butcher and survived the wild, these even “luckier” birds are almost guaranteed to be euthanized rather than get out alive which, after all the odds they’ve beat, seems particularly cruel. Animal shelters are stretched to their limits trying to care for and adopt out all the puppies and kittens and bunnies and budgies. They don’t have the resources to advocate for pigeons and people don’t know that they’re there needing homes.
Despite all their terrible luck, King Pigeons are actually very beautiful, smart and charming creatures and, when I met a tame, sensitive pet King Pigeon that, like all the others, was facing euthanasia, I knew I could find her a home and save her life. So I did. That effort grew to become first MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue and is now Palomacy Pigeon & Dove Adoptions with volunteers serving seven Bay Area counties. So far, we’ve saved the lives of more than 600 birds from being euthanized in shelters.
King Pigeons can live indoors as house pets (they can even wear pants) or outside year-round in an easy-to-create aviary. They are gorgeous, calm, simple to care for, smart and full of personality. And they want to live. We always has lots of King Pigeons available for adoption as do many Bay Area shelters. Please help us to save the lives of these gentle birds.
You can foster, adopt, volunteer and donate in support of their care. Until there are homes for all, please – don’t buy, don’t breed, adopt!
Violet is a strikingly beautiful, gentle, petite Birmingham Roller who is trying really hard to recover from a devastating injury. She was taken to WildCare in January, unable to walk or stand. She still cannot unless she is flapping her wings to generate lift. Her legs aren’t paralyzed but they lack the strength and control she needs. Her WildCare report states, “Came to WildCare on January 17th, found in El Sobrante, unable to stand with no deep pain response in either leg and a deep laceration along her keel along with multiple puncture wounds – we assume caught by a hawk based on this presentation. Through physical therapy, anti-inflammatory and pain meds, was able to stand, with pain reponse in both legs, wounds all healed, but with lasting spinal and probably nerve damage. Physical therapy included active and passive range of motion along with a sling during the day. She was always calm and began eating on her own once she got the sling in early February. By mid February she had plateaued, standing but wobbly. So was removed from WC and sent to Palomacy.”
Violet flaps her wings in order to stand & to walk
Roller pigeons are tragically selectively inbred for the genetic inclination to flip backwards in flight. They inordinately suffer injuries and death from “roll downs” and raptor strikes. Roller Pigeons are used in competitions and their performances are judged. The “Ariel Standard” from Lewis Wright’s book titled The Practical Pigeon Keeper states, “the true Birmingham Roller turns over backwards with inconceivable rapidity through a considerable distance like a spinning ball.”
Fanciers consider the rolling beautiful but how anyone can enjoy a hobby that so endangers the birds? This news article excerpt is telling.
Four Inland men are among suspects accused of killing raptors to protect pigeons. Thursday, May 24, 2007
By JENNIFER BOWLES, SANDRA STOKLEY and IMRAN GHORI
The Press-Enterprise
Seven Southern California men, including four from the Inland region, were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of killing scores of red-tailed hawks and other raptors that prey on the pigeons they breed for aerial acrobatic competition. The men have been charged with violating the federal Migratory Bird Act, which protects raptors. Each misdemeanor count carries a maximum sentence of six months in federal prison. Brian McCormick, 40, of Norco, denied the charges Thursday and said he was “extremely shocked” when federal agents showed up on his doorstep at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. He said that while hawks and falcons cause “devastating losses” to enthusiasts who breed and raise champion birds, he would never kill them. A breeding pair of roller pigeons that perform backward somersaults while in flight can fetch $300 to $500, he said. “For me the loss is emotional,” McCormick said. “I raise 100 birds to make a team and half of them are eaten by birds of prey. It’s heartbreaking.”
Heartbreaking indeed.
Violet was extremely lucky, when she was injured in January, most likely from a “roll down” collision into the ground, to be found and taken to WildCare. They cared for her for a month in the hopes that she could recover the use of her legs and be transferred to the Marin Humane Society for adoption.
Despite all their resources and best efforts, she made little progress. She clearly wanted to live- she ate and preened and paid close attention to all the happenings around her- but she couldn’t stand up. She was unadoptable and would be euthanized if transferred to the shelter. In February, when she had to have a placement, WildCare RVT Nat reached out to Palomacy on her behalf to ask if we could take her on to our caseload. Nat knew we were full and offered to foster her for us. We said yes.
Nat & Violet
Nat lovingly fostered Violet until May when she transferred into my care. Throughout all this time, her progress has been incredibly slow.
Violet’s sitting posture 4/2/15
Violet still sitting back on her tail 5/12/15
Violet lounging in her special cage set up 5/13/15
Violet is fostered in my special needs bird room. She can’t be out of her cage all the time because she has to time-share the space with other birds. When too-aggressive Freckles is out of his cage, she has to be in hers. But she loves to come out for a couple hours each morning and evening. As soon as I open her cage door, she flies out and begins flapping her wings.
Flapping her wings for lift, Violet can stand & walk
She spends most of her out-of-cage time flap flap flapping. When she flaps, it generates the lift she needs to be able to stand up and to walk a few steps. She’ll flap continuously for an hour or more. It seems almost involuntary or compulsive while she is doing it but there are times when she chooses not to do it (when she’s in her cage or sitting in a food bowl) so perhaps it feels good or reduces discomfort from sitting all the time.
The trauma Violet endured when she was injured has impacted the transmission of neural information between her brain and her legs. She has feeling in her legs and can control them (somewhat). We were surprised to discover that when turned on her back, which I did the first time to exam her, she will pedal pedal pedal her legs. This does seem more involuntary than deliberate. I occasionally turn her over for some pedal time in the hopes that it will help her recovery.
We know that birds sometime make extraordinary recoveries if given enough time and support (see Ava’s story and Bell’s story for examples). Violet seems to be getting better rather than worse and she shows a strong desire to live. We are committed to helping her live the very best life she can.
Briefly standing (!) without flapping 6/6/15
Breeding domestic pigeons to fly wild skies is an inhumane practice from the start but to further endanger them by selectively inbreeding “Roller Pigeons” for the genetic inclination to somersault mid-flight is truly heartless. The fanciers’ enjoyment of their “sport” in no way makes up for the suffering of the birds. Breeders have gone so far as to create “Parlor Rollers”, pigeons so compromised that when they try to fly, can only somersault across the ground. (The current world record roll is 662 feet.) It is perverse and indefensible. Watch Parlor Rollers compete to see for yourself and set aside time to see the BBC documentary Pedigreed Dogs Exposed to learn more about the horrors of “purebreds”.
But Violet can’t help any of that. She is here and she wants a life just as we all do.
Sitting in the food bowl
Having a soak
Working at the computer
In the sun
Flapping
Violet
I think Violet’s progress may be plateaued and that she needs some extra help to increase her chances for success. I want to rig up a sling that can help her bear some weight on her legs and improve her strength and control. Slings aren’t easy to get right and I’ve not had much luck with past slings that I’ve made. Here’s one I found on the Internet (creator unknown) that has inspired me. I’ve also been thinking about how a pair of pigeon pants or a flight suit might be modified to serve as a sling… Stay tuned.
Thank you for reading Violet’s story and for helping us to help her and all the others. Compassion matters.
This morning, until funds run out, you can make a donation in support of the work that we do and GlobalGiving will add a 50% bonus match to your donation. Please, if you can, make a donation right now. Bonus match funds run out early. Thank you.
Violet thanks you
10/18/17 UPDATE: See Violet’s adoption story- Violet to Go!
July 2, 2015
by Elizabeth Comments Off on Buttons Do Pigeons Proud!
Steph is making & donating hundreds of buttons to help the pigeons
Palomacy volunteers like Steph Fries share their talents and expertise so generously to help us help the birds!
On June 8th, I received this message from Steph:
Hello again, Elizabeth! I was thinking about how you were saying that Palomacy needs all the PR it can get especially since it never occurs to most folks that pigeons can be pets (and great ones at that!). I used to make pinback buttons for local bands as a side business when I was younger and I’ve thought about getting back into it again, more as a hobby than as a business this time. I’m working on getting another button press right now and I’d like to donate my time and supplies to make promotional buttons for Palomacy to pass out at events, free of charge. I don’t earn enough at my job to make regular monetary donations to Palomacy like I wish, so I thought this might be a good way to donate my time in a way that could have a real impact on getting pigeons into forever homes. Let me know if you think this is something Palomacy could use and benefit from. I’m excited to get the word out and help in any way I can. Thanks!
And here’s my response:
OMG! That’s a BRILLIANT idea, Steph! (And a very generous one too!) That would be awesome!!! Why have we never thought of that?! Imagine if all the people we talked to at events went away wearing a PIGEON BUTTON?!
And in less than two short weeks, I had the privilege of picking up a whole treasure trove of amazing pro-pigeon buttons which I have already distributed to volunteers and which Steph has already replenished! (And she’s busy at work making even more so that we can give them to the summer campers who attend our humane education presentations.)
East Bay SPCA Animal Campers
And you too can show off your pigeon pride with Palomacy buttons! Email your address, tell us your favorite and volunteer/creator Steph will send to you! (You’re welcome to make an optional donation here if desired.)
Beatnik Pigeon Button
Super Dovee Button
Feed the Birds Button
60s Pigeon Button
Blanco & Bean Button
Steph writes, “It doesn’t occur to most folks that pigeons can be pets. Nearly everyone I’ve met at Palomacy adoption & outreach events initially seems confused as to why our pigeons & doves need homes in the first place. I wanted to find a fun & creative way to advocate for these birds, and buttons seemed like a great way to do that. The idea is that the buttons will pique people’s curiosity when they see folks wearing them and hopefully start an interesting and important conversation about pigeons as pets, the horribly cruel “sport” of pigeon racing, and why we rescue these brilliant, charming birds.”
And I can’t say it any better than that.
Your time, energy, creativity and compassion are the forces that power our culture-changing, life-saving work. Thank you!
July 1, 2015
by Elizabeth Comments Off on Cher Ami: The Pigeon Who Saved 200 Men
Pigeons are completely devoted to their families and most have an extraordinary ability to ‘home’ back to them, a trait we’ve utilized all over the world for thousands of years. Pigeons relayed the results of the first Olympic Games and the Associated Press used pigeons to rush breaking news dispatches. They are still being used in military conflicts and one of the most amazing stories is that of Cher Ami.
Cher Ami, french for “Dear Friend,” was a messenger pigeon who flew for the US Army Signal Corps in France during WWI. Her courage and determination saved the lives of almost 200 soldiers in October, 1918.
The 308th Battalion in the 77th division was trapped in a small depression on the side of a hill behind enemy lines. Taking deadly fire, out of food and water, they attached messages to their carrier pigeons requesting urgent support. The first two pigeons sent were shot down by German forces. They had one pigeon left, Cher Ami. The Battalion wrote one last message which they attached to Cher Ami, desperately hoping that she would somehow make it through.
Cher Ami was also shot by enemy fire. She was shot in his chest by German forces while flying across the battlefields. With a bullet in her chest, and one leg hanging by a single tendon, Cher Ami flew the 25 miles to headquarters to deliver the message. When she arrived, she was blind in one eye, covered in blood, with a bullet in the chest, and a leg literally hanging by a thread. The message she delivered saved the lives of 194 men.
Cher Ami became the hero of the 77th division. Medics saved her life but were unable to save her leg. Instead, they fashioned a wooden prosthetic for her to use. When Cher Ami had recovered enough to travel, she was put on a boat to the US, and was personally seen off by General John J. Pershing.
For her hard work and determination, Cher Ami became the mascot of the Department of Service and was awarded the Croix de Guerre medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster for heroic service in delivering 12 important messages.
Cher Ami passed away eight months after the battle as a result of her wounds. She was mounted by a taxidermist and now is displayed proudly in the Smithsonian in the “Price of Freedom” exhibit.
Originally published in the Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue Newsletter July 2015
Julia is an active volunteer, helping advocate for pigeons throughout her community and beyond.
Julia & Indy at the WingDing Family Festival
June 18, 2015
by Elizabeth Comments Off on Fleetwood’s Story
On 4/1/15, a brown & white Persian High Flyer pigeon with a startling injury approached a kind person in Sacramento who took him to Wildlife Care Association (WCA). The bird’s upper beak was entirely gone, torn from his face. Brianna of WCA took care of his immediate needs with pain meds, antibiotics and supportive care and reached out to us, Palomacy Pigeon & Dove Adoptions, for his long term care. Brianna named him Fleetwood. We were able, with the help of a volunteer from Mickaboo (our big sister parrot rescue), to get Fleetwood transported to our avian vets at Medical Center for Birds.
Fleetwood on intake 4/1
Losing half a beak is like losing a thumb
Aside from the disabling wound (which included a punture into the lower mandible as well), Fleetwood was in surprisingly good condition. The wound was recent. His injury was such that his beak would never grow back and, because there was not even a stump left for attachment, he is considered a poor prospect for a prosthetic beak. Now he needed to heal and relearn how to feed himself with only half a beak.
Fleetwood’s sort of injury is frequently seen among pet parrots who have fought and wounded one another with their incredibly strong-biting beaks but is much less common among pigeons. The best we can tell from the wound, he was attacked by an animal, likely a rat, racoon or cat. He had no marks anywhere else on his body and he may have been injured through chicken wire (something that is commonly used but which is totally inadequate for protecting against predators). Whatever the case, Fleetwood was very lucky to survive the attack.
He was hospitalized for a week. In the beginning, even though he was being tube-fed, he tried diligently (but unsuccessfully) to self-feed from the various types of dishes the clinic staff provided. After a couple of days, his efforts petered out. They cut back his tube-fed meals in order to increase his appetite and re-invigorate his efforts to self-feed but it didn’t help.
Depressed at the vet’s 4/9
I picked Fleetwood up on 4/9. After a week locked indoors in a hospital tank with all kinds of piles of food that he couldn’t eat, he was very depressed. I brought him home and he brightened up at seeing other pigeons. He needed to regain lost weight (arrived home weighing only 238 grams) so I increased his meal size and, though he hated tube-feeding, the extra nutrition seemed to also lift his spirits.
It doesn’t take a lot to make pigeons happy. Pigeons are very easy going and good natured. There is a saying about them: Pigeons bloom where planted. I have found this to be very true. They are expert at making the best of a situation, no matter how bad, and they are incredibly stoic about enduring hardships. Even so, they have their needs. Pigeons need companionship (preferrably other pigeons but if not, a really devoted person willing to learn some Pigeonese), they need sunshine, they need space to move, they need to be able to eat…
Fleetwood much happier in the aviary 4/13
Fleetwood showing off his Persian High Flyer wings
I was able to offer Fleetwood most of these. I found that his favorite place to be was outside in the aviary with the flock. Initially I was concerned that he was not strong enough to manage out there (especially with only half a beak to defend himself) but I could see how much he preferred it. I saw he would scamper away when another pigeon accosted him. And Indy, a bachelor pigeon racing-survivor I foster, courted Fleetwood and spent a lot of time shadowing him so he had a buddy and bodyguard of sorts. (So much so that I thought Fleetwood was female for the first five weeks I cared for him.)
Fleetwood with Indy ever by his side
Amazingly, though I was tube-feeding Fleetwood big, filling, weight-gain-intending meals thrice daily, outside in the aviary, he continuously pecked (unsuccessfully) at the pigeon feed all day, every day. He wanted to eat! He was relentless and spent all his time peck peck pecking. He never altered his technique, just kept trying the same thing over and over, for hours every day. It was heartbreaking and encouraging both.
When I brought him indoors after a day in the aviary, I returned him to a cage full of pigeon food in deep bowls that, if he plunged his face into, he likely could have self-fed from, but he wouldn’t. He only wanted to try and eat seeds from the ground in the aviary. Ideas and suggestions poured in and I tried everything we could think of to enable him to self-feed. I tried hand-feeding, feeding gruel in a baby-pigeon feeding-type tube, different types of food in different types of containers…
Seeing how committed he was to pecking at the ground, I had what I thought was a stroke of genius. I filled the bottom of a plastic box one inch deep with all kinds of bird seed- large pigeon feed grains as well as tiny canary and budgie-size seeds. I put him in sure that the “feeding box” was the solution. He could stand in the seed, peck peck peck away and, because there was only seed an inch deep, never miss! It seemed, at first, like it was going to work. He did peck at the seed and I think might have even got a couple in. But being in a box, even a clear one that he could hop out of when he wanted to do, seemed unsatisfactory. He only tried pecking in it a couple of times. Eventually he would completely ignore the lush carpet of food at his feet when I put him in and I finally put the box away.
As the weeks went by, Fleetwood had slowly regained a little of the lost weight (getting up to 290 grams) but he was still very thin and he hated- hated – being tube-fed. It was the thing that we both had to do every day that we both hated the most. Some birds warm up to being tube-fed, appreciating the full crop it delivers, but not Fleetwood. And because he hated having it done so much, I hated doing it. He also endured a flare up of infection to the wound in his lower beak that required another course of antibiotics. I’m sure it was painful. I worried that he might lose his lower mandible as well. (At the same time, there was speculation that without his lower beak, he might be able to self-feed.)
Fleetwood’s lower beak wound became reinfected
I rarely see problems for which euthanasia is the solution but I was beginning to wonder if that might be what lay at the end of the road for poor Fleetwood. (Some had suggested it right away but my theory is, we don’t have to start with euthanasia, it will always be there as an option.) He wasn’t happy. He couldn’t eat. He wouldn’t even drink water though it was always available to him. I even made a point of offering him the chance to sip from a water cup whenever I handled him (something most pigeons appreciate) but he always recoiled from it.
We count a few especially talented pigeon people amongst our supporters, people who have an uncanny ability to befriend and soothe even the most challenging birds. I had scheduled an upcoming weekend, 5/22, for Fleetwood with one of ours. I hoped that together they could have the feeding breakthrough that we were not…
Then, on 5/13, Fleetwood had his own breakthrough and took a bath in the aviary for the first time! (Pigeons love to bathe and most do it nearly daily so it’s always really encouraging to see a recovering pigeon decide it’s time to bathe.) I was very happy! He gave me a lot of new hope with that bath.
Fleetwood 5/13, after his first bath since being injured
And then, all of a sudden, on 5/15, as I was about to feed him for the 105th time, Fleetwood and I finally had our big feeding breathrough!
I had brought him in for his afternoon tube-feeding, something we both dreaded, and, for the first time ever, rather than fight my fingers, he nibbled at them! Little ‘feed me’ nibbles! Oh my goodness, I was so excited! I immediately dropped the tube-feeding stuff and instead got pigeon feed that I could finger-feed him. And it worked! When he wanted me to finger-feed him, it was easy and fun! (Previously, when he resisted, it was basically impossible.)
Fleetwood & I ecstatic after our first successful finger-feeding 5/15
That day marked an incredible turning point for Fleetwood. He’s never been tube-fed again. The following day, I saw him take a big drink of water and so that was really good news, too. Now, twice a day, I finger-feed him pigeon feed that has soaked in water for a few minutes (it swells up, is easier to feed and helped provide extra moisture when I was worried he wasn’t drinking enough) and we both love it! What had been the worst part of both our days is now the best part. It’s hard to express how much satisfaction we both get from it.
Pigeon feed soaked in water is great for finger-feeding
He still peck peck pecks outside in the aviary all day and sometimes he is actually successful! Sometimes I can feel a small amount of seeds in his crop when I bring him in for his bedtime dinner! I am pretty confident that he’ll be able to self-feed enough to no longer require finger-feeding. He may already be at that point (he’s put on a lot of weight and is 350 grams now!) but he and I so both enjoy the finger-feeding that we are not ready to give it up quite yet.
As soon as Fleetwood started getting finger-fed instead of tube-fed, his demeanor changed. He became so much happier! And he made it clear that he was all male- strutting and flirting and expressing himself with great machismo.
When I went to Sacramento on 5/19 for the ASPCA’s Paws for Celebration event, I took Fleetwood along so that his original rescuer, Brianna, could see him again. I wonder how he felt seeing Brianna again? (Pigeons are proven to remember and recognize human faces.)
Fleetwood visits his rescuer from WCA Brianna & her son Phoenix
And Fleetwood, through updates about him on social media, has won a lot of hearts. He is an inspiration to many.
Art by Shawnelle Frady in honor of Fleetwood
Fleetwood suffered a devastating, life-altering injury but thanks to all of us along the way- the partners and volunteers and donors, his amazing spirit has won out. Fleetwood has a long life ahead of him. He still needs to meet a nice single lady pigeon and he still needs his forever home but he is here- alive and well, thanks to the rescue community that you support. He is happy to be alive and grateful to you for giving him the chance to live.
Fleetwood 6/30/15
And I thank you for giving me the privilege of leading this amazing community. We are helping animals for whom there used to be no rescue. We are closing a fatal gap in the animal welfare community. We are making a real life and death difference.
Thank you for saving Fleetwood’s life and so many others.
Elizabeth Young, founder & director
Palomacy Pigeon & Dove Adoptions
June 12, 2015
by Elizabeth Comments Off on Life Finds a Way, Guest Post by Jill McMurchy
My small aviary, already at its limit but doing fine, went from eight birds to twelve within the span of two days. How? Oops babies. Two couples, two eggs each = four new beings. Being quite involved in Palomacy since rescuing my first pigeon, a racer, in 2011, it is one of my mantras when I speak to people about having pigeons as pets. It’s one of Palomacy’s mottos as well. Don’t breed, don’t buy, ADOPT! I tell people over and over again about the importance of pigeon birth control so how does one of Palomacy’s biggest advocates and fans have oops babies? Life gets busy. Busy is a word that I don’t like because it seems to be over-used these days. Of course people are busy. We have relationships, friendships, kids, pets, jobs, etc. etc. We must try to balance all of our responsibilities and sometimes we become complacent with those things we do every day. It becomes a motion without much thought, especially those tasks that we don’t enjoy and perhaps even dread. One of those jobs is checking for new pigeon eggs and replacing with dummy eggs. Every time I pull real eggs out from under a pigeon, it breaks my heart. They live to raise babies and are amazing parents. I’ve had four oops babies in the past and while (at first) exciting and joyful; they grow up so quickly that we barely have time to savor the sweetness. From hatch to fledging is give or take four weeks. Within the space of a month you have one more grown bird competing for space, attention, food, water, bath time, and perhaps even avian vet care (which isn’t cheap).
Let’s get back to my flock. I have what is called a ‘soft’ aviary. All are gentle birds, no big thugs, no trouble makers (mostly). Most of my pigeons are on the smaller size, even my two king pigeons! So there are eight sweet pigeons, all occupying a space of 4 feet by 8 feet, fine and dandy. Everyone knows the rules (and there are rules!). Everyone is compliant and respectful (mostly). Having 8 birds in that space is pushing the limit and on more than one occasion, our dearest Elizabeth has commented that it is unusual and even impressive that things were going as wonderfully as they were for so long – until life got even more crazy and we had a family crisis that took me unexpectedly away from home for a few days. Right about that time two of my couples laid eggs. When I returned, I went through the motions, my mind somewhere else, while tending to my sweet pigeons. My pigeons bring me so much joy, so after dealing with family sadness and grief, I basked in the lives and loves of this wonderful flock, mind still reeling from our recent tragedy.
We, who are pigeon keepers, know the egg cycle and most of us can keep track pretty easily. We know that they sit on the two eggs for 17 – 19 days and them they quit their eggs and the cycle continues. When I realized I hadn’t done an egg check in a couple of weeks, I found 2 pipping eggs. When I put my ear to the eggs, I could hear movement in all four. It was too late to pull them so I was resolved to watch nature play out and see four new lives come into the world. It really should be a wonderful time but all I could think of was how disappointed I was in myself to be doing what I ask people to be careful of over and over again, bringing more pigeons into the world when we have so many that need homes already. Four more lives in a space that is meant for half that is in my aviary. With babies that would increase to twelve. My aviary is really meant for six, max.
What happens when pigeons are stressed? They get sick. They become agitated and their immune systems become compromised. Viruses or illness that their immune system is doing a good job of suppressing may surface. This is what happened to my flock. I had an outbreak of PMV in the aviary which could have been prevented. I had to add another aviary in order to reduce the overcrowding. This takes time, energy and money, all of which are in short supply these days in my world.
It’s heartbreaking to see pigeons you know and love getting sick, knowing there is not much you can do but provide vet treatment, supportive care, reduce stress, wait and watch. All four parents of the new babies became sick. Watery poop, fluffed up, having a hard time coordinating beaks to seeds, crash landing, wobbly walking. This will likely last another month or so and so far so good, but I can’t stress this enough – this was preventable.
Elinor, sick
Pippin, sick
Although these new lives are much loved and will always be well taken care of, having more babies was irresponsible to the pigeons I already take care of. I take their lives seriously. I consider these little souls family – as much as I do my dogs. Those who know me know this. I would love to be able to foster more birds for Palomacy and now I am very limited with the help I can offer, space-wise.
I want to share my experience with everyone who has and loves pigeons, whether it is two or 20. We know that reproducing means so much to these lovely birds, so much so that they can often lay a third egg once we’ve switched out their pair (yes, that’s happened to me). It’s our responsibility to make sure we don’t bring more lives into what is already an unfair world to pigeons. While we are making great strides with pigeon diplomacy (yay!), we are inundated with so many that need our help and in some cases turning some away from being saved.
In my case, I was loaned an aviary on an emergency basis and moved four of my pigeons into it until I can figure out the logistics of building a bigger aviary for all of my birds. Had I brought this same loaner aviary home without having to move my own birds into it, I could have offered foster space to four in- need birds. In the meantime, I now have a strict regimented routine that I will follow to check every nest, every day. I will also make sure that even when routines are disrupted, I will be able to have a family member, neighbor or friend check and then double check my nests. I will set an alarm on my phone to make sure I am reminded to do my daily egg check. We all make mistakes. I have reconciled with myself and am writing this article in hope that I can help my fellow pigeon advocates be reminded of the solemn and important duty of practicing conscientious pigeon birth control.
Addendum – Two of my pigeons died after writing this. My beloved Bijou, a fun, friendly, inquisitive little being who was always the first to fly to me when I entered the aviary. She was the mother of two of the oops babies I recently had. I saw that she was losing weight and at the time I was only suspecting PMV. I took her to the vet thinking I wasn’t giving her the at home supportive care she needed. She passed away while they were taking blood samples. Her death surprised the vet and myself as she didn’t appear to be that frail. Her necropsy showed that she was full of roundworm – the cause of her death.
Bijou & Jill (Photo by Lori Stoneman)
Pretzel, who resided in another aviary next to the bigger one also passed away. I found her dead on the aviary floor the morning I was to take her and Bijou to the doctors. She was Opal’s mate. A beautiful homing pigeon, not fond of people but she made my Opal a very happy pigeon. Her necropsy showed roundworm as the cause of her death as well.
I do worm my pigeons – religiously. I had just wormed everyone on April 15th and lost Pretzel and Bijou early June. According to the doctors, that’s not enough time for those large levels of roundworm to take hold. We are not entirely sure how the roundworm infestation in both birds could have gotten to such deadly levels. The speculations are:
Stress levels bring about illness in birds that otherwise would be kept at low levels. As a matter of fact, low levels of any disease or parasite is beneficial as it keeps their immune systems healthy. When stress levels are high, parasites, virus and disease can take hold. It’s very stressful for any animal to be in reproductive mode.
The wormer I was using may have been stored improperly or had expired. This, exacerbated by stress, is probably the most likely cause of the deaths.
The worms were resistant to the particular wormer I was using. I am now using two different types of wormer on my flock. Moxidectin and Pyrantel. This scenario is probably not the cause but since both of those medications have a wide safety margin, I am going to use both and rotate them.
I do blame myself for their deaths. I could have prevented the stress that might well have given the parasites the opportunity to take hold. Please do your best to swap their beloved real eggs for fake. You are actually doing them a favor. Think about my birds and what happened to them.
