Rescue Worthy?

By accident, I’ve become a king pigeon rescuer. I spend many hours every day working on their behalf. I racked up over 3,000 pigeon transport miles last year. I’ve spent a few thousand dollars of my own money and almost as much donors’ money on avian vet care. I care for foster birds; recruit, review, approve and support adopters; maintain a website and a blog, do tons of data-entry and even more outreach and PR and fundraising. I’m good at king pigeon rescue and, in not quite two years, I’ve helped more than 150 avoid euthanasia and get into top-quality adoptive homes.

I love doing it. It cracks me up that I have twenty-something white king pigeon fosters in a loft and that I can tell them all apart. They are almost all all white. I love finding out who a bird is and getting to know its personality and quirks. I have thousands of pictures of king pigeons stored on my hard drive and almost every day I still grab my camera and run to photograph them doing something funny or interesting or beautiful. Every time I hear about another one (or ten) whose time in a shelter is about to run out, I’m motivated to drop everything and send out the urgent e-mails looking for space for one (or ten) more. I love meeting other people who want to help and getting their support through the letdowns and sharing the good times.

But the thing is, these are domestic meat birds bred to be butchered and served as squab. They’re neither rare nor endangered. It’s as if I decided to rescue Foster Farms’ chickens, one at a time. I’ve spent many, many hours helping them and have saved 150. Squab plants process 50 an hour. When polar bears and tigers and gorillas are going extinct, when kids are starving and refugees fleeing wars, does my work as a king pigeon rescuer make any sense at all? Is this a worthwhile effort? Should I be redirecting my energy to something more important to the world? And, to make matters worse, I’m not tackling the source of the problem. I’m just helping those lucky few birds who escape the butcher and beat the odds to survive the streets long enough to get taken to an animal shelter.

I know that what I do matters to the birds I’m able to help save. They didn’t ask to be born but they want to live. And I’ve been happily surprised by the amount of support and encouragement I’ve gotten. I’m not the only one who cares about these disposable birds.

I didn’t start out looking for a cause. I worked thirteen years on the frontlines of the war on poverty and, while I loved it, I wasn’t ready to re-enlist. But I met a king pigeon named Gurumina and she needed and deserved help. So I helped her and every king pigeon that’s crossed my path since (and a lot of other stuck-in-shelter birds, like quail and chukars and roosters that I’ve met along the way). I can’t say for sure that, if I wasn’t doing this, I’d be fighting for polar bears or renewable energy or libraries or equal rights. So maybe it’s just good that I’m doing something. Is it good enough?

Read more: animal welfare

Photo copyright Elizabeth Young

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Margaret M.

9:31PM PST on Nov 12, 2011

In trying to find a different article I found myself on this page. Thank-you for this informative article. Prior to reading it, I didn't know that king pigeon rescuer even existed. They say you learn something new every day. I thank-you for giving me my lesson for today & I thank-you even more for what you do in regards to rescuing king pigeons. You ask if what you are doing is good enough. Just because a species isn't on the endangered species list doesn't mean that they are not to be saved & rescued. You are doing an absolutely wonderful act of kindness. Don't ever doubt about it being worthy as you are helping this particular breed to stay off the endangered species list. The world would be so much brighter were there more people like you. I realize my comment is well after it being posted, however, I wanted to thank-you anyway with wishes that you will eventually read this. Kindly keep up your worthy cause & give yourself a pat on your back for doing such a selfless work that you do!

send a green star

Paola T.

12:15PM PST on Jan 5, 2010

thank you to exist. i love pigeon & to know about people like you, give me a breath of hope. paola (italia)

charlotte b.

3:14AM PDT on Aug 10, 2009

Please carry on rescuing the king pigeons as they really need our help! They are such lovely animals who deserve to live just as much as any other creature. I will forever support your work!

Jennifer P.

5:08PM PDT on Aug 5, 2009

WE ALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5:07PM PDT on Aug 5, 2009

WE ALL HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Past Member .

6:05PM PDT on Jul 23, 2009

THIS KIND OF STORY MAKES MY HEART MELT! ALL OF US ANIMAL LOVERS LOVE YOU TO PIECES!!!!!

Keegan M.

6:16PM PDT on Jul 16, 2009

your doing a wonderful thing, even if people say these birds aren't important because they're not dying out in huge numbers like other things. i know it's not much, but i help sparrows and things my brothers cat brings in. i made a friend for life. i get vists from this bird the cat bought in as a baby and it now trust me completelty and sometimes comes to stop by in the exact tree i put him/her in a few hours after he was dragged in.keep up with the pigeons, don't other people stop you doing what you believe in, your doing an awsome job. and being able to tell them all apart, you have good skills. don't stop. everyone should be treated equally, even the animals, i feel sad to hear about cases when they are not cared for. though i feel sad when people go round chopping down trees, makes more work for me, i'm a gardener, and thanks to the school i go to, now i have to grow 21 trees for the ones they chopped down, otherwise i feel guilty for knowing about it but not doing anything. it might seem strange to you, or someone else, but, its what do.

Jennifer R.

12:49PM PDT on Jul 16, 2009

THANK YOU for rescuing these lovely creatures! Here is a link to an article featuring a monkey and pigeon that befriend one another at an animal sanctuary. The picture of the two of them is one of my favorite in the world. It inspires me every day and reminds me why all animals should be protected and cared for.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-481601/The-abandoned-monkey-love-pigeon.html

Joyce L.

10:11AM PDT on Jul 16, 2009

A live is a live, no matter what race it is. You are saving pigeons, I feed stray cats near my home, and others are saving polar bears far far away... buddha said a live is a live, there's no different. I'm glad to read this story, I'm glad the world has YOU! You are doing great!

Teri J.

5:25AM PDT on Jul 16, 2009

You said it yourself "I know that what I do matters to the birds I’m able to help save. They didn’t ask to be born but they want to live". That makes all you do worthy of your support. All creatures great and small deserve love and attention. The greatest predator on earth "human kind" doesn't have the right to destroy any sentient beings. GOD BLESS YOU AND THE PIGEONS!