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June 12, 2015
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Foster & Forever Homes Urgently Needed

Foster & Forever Homes Urgently Needed

Domestic pigeons in an aviary

Eight more to go

Our largest foster aviary, the Wulf Aviary, always housing 24 pigeons and sometimes surging to 28, has been an incredible, life-saving asset to Palomacy for almost five years. Foster volunteer Linda, who was new to pigeons when she began and who has lovingly and successfully cared for our largest flock (see her story Why I Care for 27 Pigeons), is starting a new chapter in her life and moving abroad. I cannot tell you how much we will miss her dedication, warmth and huge contribution to our rescue. I’ve told her she needs to start a pigeon & dove rescue called Shalomacy once in Israel.

Volunteer hugging rescued King Pigeon Jitsu

Linda loving on Jitsu

We’ve known about this transition for a year and we have been working diligently all this time to increase adoptions, reduce intakes, develop new foster partnerships and be ready for when the time came. And now the time is here.

We are down to the final eight foster birds and they must be relocated in the coming two weeks. Our current foster volunteers are full (and overfull). We urgently need YOUR help.  

We work carefully to prepare and support our fosters and adopters. No experience required. We match the needs of pigeons with the homes available and we have all kinds- from those who need a small, quiet environment to those who would be thrilled to just be birds in an aviary. (We call it Pigeon Tetris.)

Rescued Rock Pigeon & Racing Pigeon

Gentle March & Grace need a quiet home

Rescued Racing Pigeon & King Pigeon

Mackenzie & Niban are flexible, interested in both people & flock life

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Meulin (unreleasable Rock Pigeon) & Jitsu (King) would love to be adopted!

The Wulf Aviary is a big foster home to lose.

Beautiful big aviary for rescued pigeons

We need your help to restore the foster capacity we are losing

Please help! Learn the basics of pigeons as pets- either outside or indoors here. See the birds we have available here (updates are happening all the time). And please- apply to foster or adopt! The birds need you!

Thank you!

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June 12, 2015
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Pigeon Appreciation Day 6/13/15

Pigeon Appreciation Day 6/13/15

Yuzu and Quince Palomacy Pigeon Appreciation 2015 by Shae Irving

We appreciate pigeons every day- for their gentleness, their loyalty, their courage. Let’s share our love of these birds with everybody on Pigeon Appreciation Day- June 13th, 2015! Artists have shared their pigeon appreciation imagery with us and we encourage you to share them far and wide. Pigeons are the angels among us and they deserve a lot more appreciation than they get! Here’s the gallery of images from which you can choose your favorites to download and share! You can always make a donation in support of pigeon rescue here. Please use #PigeonAppreciationDay in your tweets, Instagram & Facebook posts!

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You can download these photos and share them with your friends and family to celebrate Pigeon Appreciation Day! (Click on the photo, click on Actions menu above, click Download photo.) Pigeons are amazing and they need us to speak up on their behalf. Palomacy- it’s pigeon diplomacy!

Click on Actions menu & Download photo to share

Click on Actions menu & Download photo to share

 

 

 

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June 11, 2015
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Pebbles: An Almost-Survivor of Pigeon Racing

Pebbles: An Almost-Survivor of Pigeon Racing

Pebbles, a victim of pigeon racing

Pebbles, a victim of pigeon racing

Pigeon racing hobbyists breed thousands of domestic pigeons, transport them hundreds of miles from home and then release them in a competition to see which birds return first. Unfortunately, many (sometimes most) of the pigeons will never make it home. They get exhausted, lost, blown off course, injured, starved. The luckiest among them are found by nice people.

On June 9th, I received this email:

I hope you don’t mind me contacting you. I found your website www.RescueReport.org while trying to do some research.

This morning, we found a pigeon in our yard.  We normally don’t see pigeons in our neighborhood, so that alone was unusual.  But, upon closer look, this one has a band on each leg.  I don’t know if he couldn’t fly or was just choosing not to, but he let me pick him up this morning.  I’ve contacted the International Federation of Pigeons for help locating the owner, but so far no one is interested in helping us rehome him.  I guess they feel that if he can’t find his way home, then they don’t want him.

He or she is very sweet.  He is currently inside with us in a cat carrier with some fresh water and some wild bird seed that I have.  He lets me hold him and my daughters have been able to pet him.  I’m not opposed to keeping him as a pet, but I don’t know where to start.  I don’t have the space to get a very large cage.  Can you please point to some websites that may have information for the minimum requirements to keep a happy and healthy pigeon?

Thank you so much for any help you can offer.

Sincerely,

Erin

Erin and I exchanged emails (you can see them below) and the following morning I received this heartbreaking message. I was very moved by how quickly and deeply affected Erin and her family were by Pebbles the pigeon and by the love and respect they gave her.

Hi Elizabeth,

I am sorry to tell you that our pigeon passed away last night.

My daughters decided that it was a female and they named her “Pebbles” because she’s a rock pigeon. 

After I received your last email, I called the pet store to see if they sold any pigeon or dove food.  It didn’t seem like Pebbles was eating any of the wild bird seed that I gave her. The pet store told me that they usually feed the doves in the pet store a combination of parakeet and cockatiel food.  Our neighbor has a few parakeets and she gave a tablespoon of the food that she uses that also has some grit in it.

I offered some of that food to Pebbles along with some shredded broccoli stems, but she didn’t eat.  I wasn’t too terribly concerned because I thought maybe she needed a day to get used to her new surroundings.

I changed her newspaper and her bedding around 10:00pm last night.  At that point she still looked like she did in the photos I sent you.  But, I did notice that when I placed her back in the carrier, she seemed to have a difficult time getting her feet under her.  I picked her up and tried to right her and then she seemed okay.  She laid in the spot that I had put her in.  I told her that we were going to give her a new home and that she would be safe and cared for here.  And I decided then that once I got her to a vet, I wanted to have her bands removed so she would be free of that abuse.

I checked on her around midnight and she was still in the same spot and her eyes were slightly closed.  So I figured she was sleeping and I felt comfortable leaving her for the night.  

Then around 3am I heard her moving around.  And when I went to check on her, she looked almost like she was having a seizure.  She was laying down, but her head was dropped to one side, her beak was opening and closing, and her body was shaking.  A few seconds later she stopped shaking and passed away.  

It’s amazing how attached we got to her in only a few hours.  But, I’m grateful that she’s not hurting anymore.  And hopefully we contributed more to her life than we did to her death.

We’ve decided to bury her in our garden without her bands.  She’s a free pigeon now!

So sorry we couldn’t do more.

 

Here’s our entire exchange.

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You can learn more about pigeon racing here.

 

 

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May 29, 2015
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Pigeons on the Catwalk!

Pigeons on the Catwalk!

We had a fantastic time at the SF SPCA’s spectacular fashion show Dogs on the Catwalk and showed a whole lot of people a completely new way to see pigeons. Extra special thanks to the SF SPCA for including us, to Mandy Newkirk for the VIP treatment, to Nuena Photography for the amazing photos, to Betabrand, ClaireFarwellLondon and Jill Milan and all the models for showing off the beauty of pigeons so gloriously, to Palomacy volunteers Carole Craig, Steph Fries and Leda Hosier for making it possible and most of all to our pigeon ambassadors- Indy, Pat, Dylan, Amelio, Shimmy & Ragweed who worked so hard and looked so damn good doing it! (Pigeon Pants from The Bird Boutique)

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Steph, holding Indy, tabling for Palomacy at the SF SPCA Fashion Show Benefit

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The SF SPCA Humane Education Specialists love pigeons!

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To meet a pigeon (Shimmy in this case), is to love a pigeon.

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Steph, Amelio & Indy getting ready for the show

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Pigeon racing survivor Amelio looking fine in his Gold Tie Tux (by Jing of The Bird Boutique)

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Ready for the catwalk with the models of Betabrand

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Standing room only for the fashion show (photo courtesy of Nuena Photography)

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Betabrand model with rescued King Pigeon Dylan (photos courtesy of Nuena Photography)

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Compassion is beautiful! (Photo courtesy of Nuena Photography)

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Indy charmed Haylee (and visa versa)

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A model backstage with Indy (a survivor of pigeon racing)

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Fashion & compassion with Dylan & Amelio

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Palomacy- it’s pigeon diplomacy.

Leda and Ragweed SF SPCA Fashion Show 052915

Ragweed & Leda

Steph Fries and Indy SF SPCA Fashion Show 052915

Steph & Indy

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May 22, 2015
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Palomacy & Animal Place Working Together to Help King Pigeons

Palomacy & Animal Place Working Together to Help King Pigeons

On May 19, 2015, Palomacy founder Elizabeth & rescued King pigeon Dylan (bred to be butchered as squab) visited Animal Place Farm Sanctuary’s Rescue Ranch in Vacaville to firm up plans for a long-sought collaboration that will help save the lives of King Pigeons who have evaded the butcher and survived “release” to the streets but face death in Bay Area animal shelters for want of adopters.

Long peaceful drive into the property (10 MPH speed limit)

Long peaceful drive into the property (10 MPH speed limit)

Watch out for pedestrians

Watch out for pedestrians

Rattlesnake in the road

Hello

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Welcome to Animal Place

This is where Animal Place began

This is where Animal Place began

Jan & Dylan (rescued King Pigeon). Jan cares for all of the animals at the Rescue Ranch

Jan & Dylan (rescued King Pigeon). Jan cares for all of the animals at the Rescue Ranch

Rooster Radio and some of his beautiful ladies (“spent” hens saved from slaughter by AP)

Rescued "egg layer" chickens

Out of cages, off of wire, free to move, stretch their wings, express their feelings, be themselves

Future site of a life-saving aviary for rescued King pigeons!

Future site of a life-saving aviary for rescued King pigeons!

Jan with rescued King Pigeon on site of future aviary

Jan & Dylan are ready to make this happen!

Rescued chicken barn

Jan & Dylan visiting chickens in the barn nearest where the pigeon aviary will be

Rescued chickens

The chickens and pigeons will be neighbors

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Elizabeth is an Animal Place intern. It was her rescuing of a pigeon (which interrupted a chicken dinner) that inspired her to become vegan.

Rescue Ranch

The pigeon aviary will be in the clearing behind where Jan & Elizabeth are silhouetted

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Their covered porch has a very aviary-friendly design!

Jan & Elizabeth- ready to help pigeons!

Jan & Elizabeth- ready to help pigeons!

 

July 21, 2015 Update
Our Help Build an Aviary for Animal Place crowdfunding campaign is launched! Please click here to see more and help us save more birds!

Help Build an Aviary for Animal Place

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May 20, 2015
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Palomacy @ The State Capitol

Palomacy @ The State Capitol

We had a great time on the lawn of the State Capitol representing for birds, catching up with old friends and making new ones. Thank you to the ASPCA for including Palomacy in their California Paws for Celebration and special thanks to Christiana coordinating the event for us.

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May 11, 2015
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Sunshine Makes a Difference

Sunshine Makes a Difference

Laura Ann Quills Young Sunshine Prism

Sunshine makes a difference

Guest post by Laura Lee

Sunshine took our world by storm. On a frigid Canadian winter’s day, Sunshine was rescued by our special friend Bob. How something so sweet could be found alone in a garbage can, I will never know. I had no previous experience with baby pigeons but I have a trained ear now for their disinctive ‘squeak’. Bob gave me Sunshine but both of us knew it was unlikely the chick would live. My boyfriend chose the name Sunshine for the little squeaker because of the brilliant yellow fuzzies that covered the baby’s body. I felt at the time that every single day Sunshine stayed with us was a gift while hoping for the best and expecting the worse.

Sunshine Laura Lee FIRST EVER open eye photo

Sunshine opens his eyes for the very first time

Sunshine had the unlikely company of my Society Finches who even tried their ‘beak’ at feeding him. My pet white doves were also excited to welcome this yellow fuzzy baby even though he rapidly grew larger than they were!

Laura Lee pearl and Sunshine chick

Foster dove mom Pearl nurtured baby Sunshine

Sunshine showed a strong character even before his eyes opened. I told Bob and his wife Debbie how this amazing little bird grew up, feathered out and chased toys up and down the hallway. Tragically Bob passed away before he could see the vibrant bundle of healthy energy and love Sunshine had become. Sunshine is a daily reminder to us of the incredible people Bob and his wife Debbie are. Anyone who has seen Sunshine play fetch with his ball or watched him having a party in his splash pool cannot help but smile. And that happiness we all feel is because Bob believed every bird makes a difference.

Bob never got to see Sunshine grow into the vibrant healthy pigeon we know and love. Sunshine wants to say thank you to his rescuer by doing what Bob loved best- spreading awareness of the needs of birds… Without Bob there would have been no Sunshine.

To thank you for helping pigeons, Sunshine has created a very special gift set: Introducing Palomacy Awareness Ribbons!  Sunshine will send one of his handmade satin Palomacy Awareness Ribbons to the first 50 donors who give to Palomacy on 5/13/15 through GlobalGiving! They come in three different designs, each with a high quality lapel pin.

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Sunshine working on his Palomacy Awareness Ribbons

Laura Ann Quills Palomacy Ribbons Quills Approves

Quills inspects each ribbon

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Sunshine’s Palomacy Awareness Ribbons are ready!

And there’s more! Sunshine would also like to give you a handmade bookmarker with a silk tassel and little, tiny ringable bell. They are made from pictures of Palomacy diplomats such as Bell and Dylan and Amelio as well as one of baby Sunshine and one of rescue dove Queen Quills! Which one would you like?

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Sunshine’s Palomacy bookmarks

Still not sure you are going to make a donation to Palomacy right now?  Sunshine is a persistent little guy and he wants to give you yet another thank you gift… a Palomacy dove fridge magnet!

Sunshine Fridge Magnet

Sunshine’s Palomacy fridge magnet

All expenses including printing, ornamental pins for the handmade satin ribbons, dove magnets, shipping and handling – everything… will be paid by Sunshine. That is how important it is to Sunshine to thank Bob for rescuing him- and to thank you for helping Palomacy rescue more pigeons and doves and find them forever homes. Help Palomacy bring more ‘Sunshines’ into our lives.

Help Sunshine prove the difference one pigeon can make! Please donate to Palomacy during GlobalGiving’s Bonus Match on Wednesday, May 13, 2015.

On Wednesday, May 13th, 2015, every donation made to Palomacy via GlobalGiving (up to $1000) will receive a bonus match from the $75,000 fund and the first 50 donors will receive this super, extra special thank you inspired and created by Sunshine whose life was saved by Bob Johnston.

Bob Johnston was a very active bird advocate and he and his wife served as leaders in the Parrot Community in Ontario. Bob passed away six weeks after he rescued Sunshine, a year ago this May 12th, 2015. Bob’s wife Debbie says there is nothing Bob would have enjoyed more than the gift of Sunshine’s ribbons helping promote awareness of Palomacy, helping birds. Download Bob’s article “Your Future – Your Pet”

Debbie Bob and Indigo

Debbie and Bob with Indigo

Laura Lee, along with Sunshine, Quills, and lots of other feathery friends lives in Niagara Falls, Ontario and is employed by Pawistive Products as their sole bird handler caring for ducks, doves and a large flock of parrots. She has worked in Equador at a rescue center for illegally trapped parrots and in Africa with endangered birds. Laura writes, “After sharing my life with my doves and pigeons, I really want to give back to these amazing and often misunderstood birds. I’ve read about how the Dickin Medal was awarded to 32 pigeons for saving lives in WW1 and WW2. Still more than not people treat them mean – yet don’t mind exploiting pigeons’ talents if it suits them. Palomacy promotes awareness of how special doves and pigeons truly are and how they can become loved family members. Following Palomacy’s posts on Facebook has given me a chance to learn more their work, volunteers, community involvement – and the sweet precious birds in their care. I want to help any way I can to be apart of such a valuable cause.”

Laura Lee with Jazzy and Indigo

Laura with Bob and Debbie’s parrots Jazzy & Indigo

Sunshine at play

UPDATE: Thanks to Laura & Sunshine & all of your support, on 5/13/15, we raised a much-needed $7632 (our best Bonus Day ever)! Thank you for helping Palomacy to help birds!

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April 27, 2015
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Feather & Bone

Feather & Bone

Young emaciated racing pigeon

Starved very nearly to death

This young pigeon, now named Vivian, is extremely lucky to be alive.  She was bred to be used for pigeon racing. Taken miles from her home and “tossed” to her fate, she tried her best to fly home. But she failed. And she very nearly died because of it. I checked on Vivian at the request of Bruce, the kind man who rescued her. She weighs only 232 grams. She should weigh 400 or more. She is feather and bone. She is so emaciated that her body consumed its own breast muscle tissue in the fight to survive, grounding her without the muscles needed for flight.

Emaciated pigeon on scale showing 232 grams

Vivian lost nearly 50% of her body weight to starvation

Thanks to Bruce, she is slowly coming back to life.

Kind man Bruce with rescued racing pigeon

Vivian asked Bruce for help and he saved her

Bruce writes, “The rescue began as I was outside our building in Point Reyes Station, watering plants.  It was about 6:00 pm. I was filling up the watering can & she walked over to me from underneath our car.  She just sat there watching me as I watered.  I knew almost immediately that something was different about this pigeon.  There are quite a few in the belfry of our building. I walked over to her & saw the numbered blue band around her leg. I sat next to her for a bit, and then walked up the stairs to go inside. She followed me up the stairs! I brought down bread for her (she wasn’t interested). I went back upstairs to get Neil & when I returned, she was walking all alone down the street (cue sad, heart breaking music here!). I followed her & she let me pick her up. There were ravens & hawks around, and I knew there would soon be cats. I brought her inside, put her in a box with sesame seeds, wild rice (that’s all we had) & water. Neil went to the market for bird seed. She happily ate everything we gave her. We assembled our pup’s old dog crate, which was perfect. We made a perch & lined the crate, and Vivian went to sleep. She seemed very…relieved. As were we.”  

Exhausted survivor of pigeon racing

Vivian is still exhausted & recovering from her ordeal

Vivian’s successful self-rescue is a miracle. Most of the racing pigeons that get lost, injured and/or starved aren’t so fortunate. Despite their heroic efforts to find their way home, they will, for the “sport” of others, suffer and die.

Racing pigeons, though they look very much like their wild cousins the Rock Pigeons, are domestic birds. They have been bred and raised by people for so long that they are no longer wild. They no longer have the skills needed to survive on their own and so when they are taken away from their home and released to “race”, they are highly likely to die in the wild. Vivian’s approaching Bruce for help is not unusual. Pigeons are very smart and, having been raised by and depended on people for care, will often attempt what we call “self-rescue” by approaching people when they are in trouble. What’s unusual is that Bruce didn’t dismiss her. He saw that she was asking for help and he gave it.

So Vivian is safe now. She has been saved. She has a home and family that loves her and who will not play games with her life. She is a survivor of pigeon racing.

Lucky pigeon in a beautiful family photo

Bruce with Vivian, his dog, his sister and his son

Learn more at What’s Pigeon Racing?

Donate to help us help the birds.

See our adoptable birds.

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