There are over 200 different breeds of domestic pigeons. Shelters mostly see members of the sporting class of pigeons like Rollers, Racing Homers and other breeds used for long distance racing, backyard flying, private celebrations or gender reveal events. Birds from these free flying groups often are injured via collisions with utility wires or plate glass windows. They also are battered by storms and injured by raptors.
There is no data base on the reclaim rate of pigeons with found owners from band registration services. But anecdotally on servers like PigeonRescue.org it is alleged that recovery is DISMAL and that the pigeon fanciers do not want the injured birds back as they no longer have value or usefulness.
Does you agency have any policies or insights as to the proper protocol for rehoming/adopting pigeons that the registered owner has no interest in . ( for clarity in many cases the shelter finds out who the banding party was that that person does not respond to their inquiry about recovering the bird)
Most ordinances about stray holds specifically cite dog and cat strays and not species like pigeons, domestic chickens or rabbits. Do you think the sheltering agency needs to hold these species in the same manner as dogs/cats?
Dave Pauli, dpauli@humanesociety.org
#AdoptionsandAdoptionPrograms#LawsandPublicPolicy#Rehoming------------------------------
Dave Pauli
Program Manager WIldlife Conflict Resolution
The Humane Society of The United States
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