January 14, 2013
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on MickaCoo at the Bay Area Pet Expo 1/12/13
MickaCoo had a great day and, with eight volunteer and 10 bird diplomats, we made a lot of new friends for pigeons & doves.
December 31, 2012
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Tinkie Winkie
In a testament to her hardiness, she held her own and competed successfully for nearly a year.
Tink’s story is filled with drama. As a king pigeon, she was bred to be killed at the age of four weeks and served as somebody’s squab dinner but instead, she and a few other baby king pigeons were purchased alive from the poultry market. Unfortunately, once purchased, they were most likely “released” at a ceremony (a cruel and deadly thing to do). Having no place to go (king pigeons are domestic and cannot survive in the wild), they hid behind some bushes. Once again, her incredible luck kicked in and she and three other baby kings were found and taken to the San Francisco animal shelter before dogs, cats, raccoons, hawks, cars and/or mean people got a hold of them. After a week at the shelter, their time was up and they were scheduled to be killed for lack of adopters but instead, MickaCoo took them into foster care. Their foster mom named the four babies after the Teletubbies- Dipsy, Tinkie Winkie, Lala and Poe. Three strengthened and grew but little Lala didn’t survive. When Tinkie Winkie and Dipsy had matured, they were transferred to our foster flock housed in the extra large Wulf Aviary. (Poe stayed at the Pacifica aviary and has been adopted by her foster mom.) On a visit to the Wulf aviary in November, I noticed that Tink was sitting a lot- more than normal. I caught (which wasn’t easy) and checked her over. She was strong, clean, a healthy weight and appeared to be thriving. When I checked with her foster mom, I was told that Tink had been a “sitter” for about as long as she could remember. On December 23rd though, Tink didn’t look so good and her foster mom alerted me. I picked her up the next morning and we went to Medical Center for Birds where she was examined by Dr. Speer. Tink appears to have a slowly progressing neurological problem (perhaps from an old spinal injury) that is interfering with signals between her spinal cord and legs. She’s doing very well fostered indoors in a less demanding environment and is feeling better and gaining back some lost weight. She’s a lovely bird who needs a special home. She is happy to be alive.
Your support of MickaCoo saved her. Thank you.
December 7, 2012
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Peppermint: One Bird’s Story
I wish that the birds we’ve rescued could tell you themselves the difference you make in their lives. No one wants to suffer, to die for lack of a friend. In 2012, thanks to you, MickaCoo helped hundreds of pigeons and doves that otherwise had no one. Here’s the story of just one.
Peppermint- an abused baby king pigeon
His story begins on July 23, 2009, when we were contacted by a shelter about an injured king pigeon, colored in red magic marker and due to be euthanized. A volunteer rushed to pick him up and get him to the vet before closing. He was 4 weeks old, weak and in pain. He had infection to the bone in both ankles. His underside was filthy green from being unable to stand up out of his own poop and his feathers scribbled bright red with permanent magic marker. The volunteer named him Peppermint. We don’t know what happened to him prior to arriving at the shelter but it looked as if someone had given this fragile baby pigeon (most likely purchased from a live poultry market) to their child as a toy, confining him someplace too small for him to even stand.
Peppermint’s infected joints were so damaged that the vet warned us he might never be able to walk. His vet care, paid by donations, cost more than $2000. His foster mom cared for him tenderly and he responded by coming back to life. In the beginning, he had been so traumatized, that he was almost catatonic but, as he began to feel safe and to heal, Peppermint started squeaking and emoting like a baby pigeon should. On a home visit, watching him watch her, I told his foster mom that she was his sun and moon. And she was.
Foster mom Sherri brought him back to life
Peppermint’s legs did recover (though he still can’t fly) and he grew up to become a big, hearty young man bird. He moved into a foster aviary and his first mate was a wonderful, sweet and much older lady pigeon named Dee Dee Detroit. (We called her a MickaCoogar.) When her health took a turn for the worse and we had to separate them, Peppermint remarried.
Dee Dee Detroit & Peppermint
During his nearly three years in MickaCoo’s foster care, Peppermint worked many events as a Pigeon Ambassador (and still does once in awhile). He is pretty famous for his iconic “First Step in Pants” picture and he has won a lot of new friends for pigeons. Even so, it took till this year for charismatic Peppermint to get adopted. On May 26, 2012, Peppermint and his mate Skylar and four of their friends were adopted and moved into a beautiful aviary built just for them. Peppermint is home.
Your support of MickaCoo wrote this happy ending. Thank you.
December 6, 2012
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on MickaCoo in Review: 2012
MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue had both a very challenging and very promising year. We are getting ever more support and leadership from volunteers and seeing more outreach and placement efforts from Bay Area shelters. In 2012, MickaCoo’s foster volunteers saved more than 200 lives by caring for and housing pigeons and doves when no one else would. We placed more than 100 birds with carefully screened adopters and counseled on behalf of the welfare of hundreds more.
The challenge is meeting the overwhelming demand for our service. We need more adopters, more fosters, more funding. What we are doing is valuable and meaningful and we are committed to becoming even more effective at doing this “impossible” work. We’re closing an historic gap in animal rescue. We are challenging indifference with compassion and changing the world for the better. You make the difference. Thank you.
(Click photos to see full size)
December 3, 2012 by Elizabeth
I received this email on 10/4/12:
Good morning. I got your email address from Jane and am contacting you because I rescued what I think may be a King Pigeon. I was wondering if you had room to take in one more bird? I do not have the knowledge or the facilities to nurse it back to health but when I saw it standing in the middle of the street and realized it couldn’t fly, I knew I had to try to save it. If you could assist me with this matter, that would be wonderful and if not, could you direct me to the most appropriate resource? Thank you and have a wonderful day, JamesI didn’t have room but the bird was injured and so I went to check on him. Snow, as his rescuer James named him, had been found at 10 PM standing in the street in the SF Tenderloin. Before James could get to him, he had been clipped by a passing car but escaped with only broken blood feathers. James would have loved to foster Snow in his small apartment but his highly active and prey-driven dog was frantic to get to the bird. Unable to think of another option, I brought Snow home with me.
At first I thought Snow was a hen but now I’m pretty sure he’s a henry (cock). We think that he had been kept as someone’s pet and got lost or was “set free” (death sentence). He definitely is people-savvy, so much so that I put pants on him and take him to adoption fairs and outreach events as a Pigeon Ambassador.
Snow is a great bird. He’s healthy and beautiful and, while familiar with people, he also does great in an aviary with other pigeons. He’s neither bullied nor a bully. For now he (?) is still single. He’s fostered with MickaCoo in SF but he needs a forever home.
I’m so grateful to people like James who, rather than just walk on by, get involved when somebody needs help. I know that Snow is happy to be safe.
Click here to learn more about king pigeons and how they end up needing rescue.
This gallery contains 16 photos
December 1, 2012
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on MickaCoo at the Mickaboo 2012 Holiday Party
Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue had their annual Holiday Party (and 15th Anniversary Celebration) in Livermore Saturday 12/1 and MickaCoo joined in and had lots of fun! It was wonderful to connect with friends old and new and, to all those who couldn’t be there with us, we missed you and toast you too.
November 15, 2012
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Fergie: Lucky & Happy to Be Alive
This is the story of one pigeon, the three MickaCoo foster volunteers who nursed her back to health and the many generous supporters whose donations paid for her vet care.
On the evening of 9/5, I was contacted by staff at Animal Care & Services that they had “another injured pigeon… wounds on wing and legs” that would be euthanized if we didn’t rescue her. This king pigeon, domestic and completely helpless in the wild, had been mauled by some kind of predator but lucky enough to get taken to a shelter. A MickaCoo volunteer, Foster 1, picked up the pigeon and rushed her to an avian vet for wound care and antibiotics. She seemed to respond to treatment at first but then the infection flared up and on 9/9 she was transferred to a more experienced Foster 2 (who is also a vet tech) and rushed to another avian vet.
Wounded birds need avian vet care that most shelters don’t provide
Named Fergie by Foster Mom 2, she had blood tests, was sedated for x-ray and to have her wounds cleaned and closed, treated for pain and sent home with injectable antibiotics. With lots of tender care, Fergie’s condition steadily improved and all of her wounds healed except for one, at the hock joint of her right leg. Despite all the treatment, it remained angry and unresolved. We worried that if we weren’t able to turn it around, the infection could cost her the leg.
Fergie’s hock injury put her leg at risk
After much deliberation and several phone consultations, Fergie was driven many miles by two different volunteers to get help from Dr. Speer at Medical Center for Birds on 9/20.
Dr. Speer and Fergie in consultation
The wound was again examined and cleaned and then rewrapped so as to immobilize the joint and prevent the leg’s bending and flexing. It was a nerve wracking week waiting for her return visit because we couldn’t tell which direction the wound was going under the bandage and her poor pink foot stayed puffy and swollen the whole time.
Fergie
The following week, Fergie was once again driven the many miles to be rechecked, and when the bandage was removed, we were all thrilled with the improvement she had made. Her wound had totally turned the corner and was healing beautifully. She went home annoyed to have the bandage on for another week but all her people were giddy with the progress.
Much better!
There was more excitement still ahead for Fergie though. On 10/3, the day her injured leg was finally healed and the bandages removed for good, Fergie was treated to a celebration and let outside in an aviary to hang out with other pigeons and enjoy the afternoon while she waited for her long ride back to Foster Home 2. But Fergie had other ideas. She fell in love at first sight with handsome (and famous) bachelor Opal and got married to him right then and there! With all the pigeon hook ups I’ve seen these past five years (hundreds), I could count on one hand the number of times that has happened. Pigeons are very emotional and deliberate in their relationships and will remain single despite the availability of potential mates for long periods of time. But not Fergie. She and Opal had instant chemistry. So Fergie got to stay with Foster Mom 3 and now she and Opal are happily sharing nest building and (fake) egg sitting duties. They are available for adoption as a mated pair (we don’t split couples).
Fergie happy on the nest while Opal brings in the twigs
MickaCoo couldn’t help birds like Fergie and Opal if not for your support. We thank you with all our heart for helping us to help these pigeons and doves.
November 14, 2012
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Jimmy 8/8/12 – 9/16/12
Like so many others, the baby king pigeon I named Jimmy was raised for squab, sold by a live poultry market and “released” by someone either trying to help him or ceremonially at Dolores Park. Amazingly he survived the many perils of being in the wild (hawks, ravens, gulls, dogs, cats, mean people, etc.) long enough to get picked up by Animal Control. He arrived at the animal shelter on 9/8 and unfortunately his care somehow fell through the cracks. Usually the shelter is good about catching problems and notifying us but young Jimmy wasn’t eating (likely too young to self-feed) and by the time I accidentally discovered him on 9/14, he was extremely emaciated, weak and pooping blood. Shelter staff were surprised and concerned. I immediately pulled him and another sick fledgling (Tex) into MickaCoo’s care.
Jimmy emaciated & weak at the shelter
I wasn’t sure if Jimmy would survive the trip home but he did. And he did something that I’ve never had another do- he plunged his head into a dish of baby bird gruel that I was preparing and fed himself before I could. This poor baby wanted to live. He was warmed and hydrated and fed hourly small, watery meals and he was comforted by the company of (the much stronger) Tex. He held on for two days but his ordeal had been too much and he died in my arms on 9/16.
Jimmy couldn’t wait to be fed
Tex recovered from the canker and respiratory infection and transitioned outside to the aviary. He was bold as a youngster and is absolutely fierce now that he is growing up. He’s big and healthy and needs a forever home.
Tex and dove Lily hanging out
November 14, 2012
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on Just a Pigeon? Guest Blog Post by Julia Orr of SHARK
In Pennsylvania, pigeons are being used for “live pigeon shoots”; a target practice justified by disregard for pigeons as sentient beings. Every year thousands of pigeons are trapped off city streets or sold by dealers, crated and half starved so they can barely fly, thus becoming “easy targets,” and are then catapulted into the air out of boxes to be shot at in competitions for money. They are not only blasted out of the sky, which is in of itself reprehensible, but if “just a pigeon” isn’t killed outright (which is rare), the wounded are kicked, stomped, bashed, dismembered and swung around by their necks in order to finally kill them, or just thrown alive into trash bags. If the birds are not easily collected, the shooters leave them to die of their wounds and pigeons have been seen drowning in the nearby freezing cold Delaware River. (Click here to watch SHARK rescuing pigeons from the live pigeon shoot.)
Dead pile from Pennsylvania Pigeon Shoot at Wing Pointe
A particularly despicable place where these live pigeon shoots occur is called Wing Pointe Shooting Resort located in Hamburg, PA. On September 30th, 2012 Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK) documented some of the worst abuse against pigeons our investigators had seen to date and the abusers, which included children, did so with such alacrity as to be alarming, knowing that they face no consequences even though they were being filmed. If this kind of abuse were documented in a slaughterhouse it would, and has, resulted in criminal charges! State lines should not be used as a defense against animal abuse; similarly the type of animal being abused should not be a defense against animal abuse. There is a misnomer about pigeons that has been perpetuated by ignorance. Some people believe they are unworthy of protection because they are “just pigeons”, carry disease and are dirty but this is a myth. When city pigeons are dirty it is because of human pollution and living in a dirty environment.
One of the wounded pigeons rescued by SHARK
After its sole appearance in the 1900 Olympics, the International Olympic Committee banned pigeon shooting and refused to recognize it as a sport based on its conclusion that it was plain cruelty. Great Britain banned live pigeon shoots in 1921, as have most countries. So why is Pennsylvania one of the few remaining states in the US to not only continue this practice but to actively interfere with any attempts by local humane society police officers to bring legal charges against the abusers? The answer seemingly lies with the National Rifle Association and its dubious connections to the local District Attorneys and to wealthy patrons of live pigeon shoots who have donated large amounts of campaign funds to the Legislature including House Speaker, John M. Perzel.
The local PA law enforcement, DA, Attorney General and the Governor are well aware of these events and have failed to bring any charges against any shooting clubs or persons committing such heinous acts under the Pennsylvania Animal Cruelty Statute 5511. However, the statute clearly states that, “A person commits an offense if he wantonly or cruelly ill treats, overloads, beats, otherwise abuses any animal, or neglects any animal.” I defy anyone to watch the video coverage of these shoots and NOT consider them cruel as defined by the statute. These live pigeon shoots, but lets call them what they are – mass pigeon slaughters – are actively and vociferously supported by the National Rifle Association. The NRA feels that if we start to legislate against using guns in live pigeon shoots, it’s a slippery slope, which may lead to banning hunting entirely. This is one of the battles that SHARK, after years of attempts to bring cruelty charges against abusers and despite media inertia and local indifference/ignorance, absolutely will not give up.
The SHARK team regularly attends the live pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania and other states to document the abuse and to wage a campaign to end this practice forever.
Please contact Governor Tom Corbett and members of the Pennsylvania legislature. Tell them that it’s long past time for them to end the abominable cruelty of live pigeon shoots.
Governor Tom Corbett
Phone: (717) 787-2500
Fax: (717) 772-8284
EMAIL
Click here to find and contact your Pennsylvania state legislator
Please contact the Pennsylvania Tourism Bureau and tell them that you won’t be vacationing in PA because of illegal live pigeon shoots 1-800-847-4872 and post on their Facebook page.
To learn more, please visit www.PAShame.com to watch the videos about the abuse and to see some of the rescued pigeons.
Julia Orr works as Director of Media Relations for SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK). Prior to joining SHARK, Julia spent many years in the entertainment world as a publicist meanwhile using her spare time working on animal rights issues specifically campaigning against anti-vivisection with Stop Animal Exploitation Now! (SAEN). Julia joined SHARK in 2012 with a desire to combine her skills to advocate for animals and raise the awareness of these issues in the media. Julia became a vegetarian 29 years ago and vegan for the past 10 years. In her free time she enjoys travel, art, writing and eating vegan food.
MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue thanks Julia, her colleagues at SHARK and all those who are fighting to stop this indefensible cruelty.
October 28, 2012
by Elizabeth
Comments Off on MickaCoo at 2012 SF Pet Pride Day