By Elizabeth Young | Founder, Executive Director
On August 7th, a notice went out from San Jose Animal Care & Services about an injured pigeon- always a 911. Palomacy volunteer and bird rescuer Friederike immediately offered to pick her up and rush her to the vet and to foster her too. She named the little pigeon Summer.
Wounds that can seem minor are often deadly for birds as they will succumb to infection if not properly treated. In Summer's case, the wound was so serious as to require surgical cleaning and repair. (The skin of her leg and abdomen and been torn in a predator attack- she had been "degloved".) She required anasthesia, more than 23 stitches, three follow up appointments, some tube feeding early on and two courses of antibiotics to heal from the injury. Even with a generous financial aid grant of $250 from the shelter to help, we still owe more than $1000 for her care.
Summer is a shy, gentle bird. Her markings remind me of a pinto pony. She has been a very good patient and Friederike has taken amazing care of her, medicating her twice a day, carefully monitoring her healing and getting her the follow up care that was required to finally win out over the infection. Today her stitches are out and she's feeling much better.
Summer is a young pigeon, only about 6 months old. She was being used for pigeon racing. Every year, millions of racing pigeons are bred and then, when they are taken miles from home to be trained and ultimately raced (often for hundreds of miles), many will die trying to get back home. (Pigeon racers say, "Let the (training) basket and race cull for you" meaning they only care about the winners. The deaths of the others are part of the "sport".) Summer is extremely lucky to be alive. You saved Summer.
And Summer's life will never again be put in jeopardy for someone's amusement. She's safe now. Summer is a domestic pigeon, unequipped to survive in the wild but well able to thrive as a pet and we will see that she has a happy home. Summer's already made a very special new friend- a lonesome bachelor pigeon named Fancy.
We couldn't answer these calls without your help. Your support is what makes the life & death difference for birds like Summer. Today- right now until the funds run out- you can donate in support of this special work and earn an extra 30% bonus match (up to $1000 per donor)! Today is the last bonus match opportunity of the year. Please- if you can, donate again and help us save more birds like Summer. We can't do this without you.
Thank you.
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