My Nonprofit Reviews

Just wow. I couldn’t really find any other appropriate opening words.

I spent the weekend going through your website and some of your socials and can I say that you guys are the most digital, the most organised, and the most life-centric pigeon rescue charity I’ve come across to date. There may be others – but if there are I can’t find them (so your digital presence and SEO – it’s working). For your organisation - one that only operates in the SF Bay area, you’ve got a massive online footprint and I only wish that pigeon rescue was as big a topic and conversation everywhere. Two years ago I didn’t know much at all about pigeons - how things have changed thanks to people and organisations like you and yours who advocate strongly, educate, and communicate with volume. I’ve gone from pigeon-ignorant to pigeon-weary now to pigeon-crazy and after my weekend trawling your site, I’m now more educated by people who are actually on the ground working with them. For example, I had not previously found a single resource online that provided useful practical advice for common folk on how to safely feed a starving pigeon. Once a pigeon has touched your heart there’s really no going back….

I wanted to say thank you – not for the wealth of information on your site, or for the educational videos and posts – but simply for caring. I read the article about “Pebbles” that you posted in 2015 and the email dialogue. By the time I finished I needed a box of Kleenex as it was so familiar and heart wrenching.

I hope you get a decent cut from the sales of your merch on Tee public as I bought a couple of shirts on the weekend and will buy more – the artwork is very cool and while the money goes offshore I’m just happy to help your pigeon-centric charity as well as supporting the local bird rescue organisation here in Auckland who I regularly donate to.

Like in the US, pigeon racing and “release dove releasing” are popular here in New Zealand although they are not nearly as big – likely owing to our small population of 5 million. Before I came across your site and had my own experience with racers in recent weeks, I thought pigeon racers/releasers were also bird lovers. I actually wanted to get involved in the sport as I thought it was a great way to get closer to pigeons – not any more. How wrong was I, now I appreciate that pigeon racers and “releasers” really just see the birds as objects, as tradeable commodities, as sources of revenue - and sadly when not suited to their business or sporting purposes – liabilities too easily discarded. I had never heard of a pigeon racing survivor before but it’s a term I’ll use going forward for sure. Your description of a racing pigeon or release dove heading home “flying it’s heart out just to get home” and the term “kidnap racing” together really trigger strong emotions.

The response I got from the local racing community when a lost racer turned up in my yard was quite telling. Still trying to catch the wee thing (it’s a very timid young one). But it has pleasingly integrated into the local feral flock, made some friends, has ready access to quality seeds, clean water to drink and bathe, somewhere to sit, sunbathe, socialise and rest safely – so while still concerned I’m not deeply worried about it. It’s grown in size by about 30% in two weeks and has learned really well off it’s wild, weird and wonderful flock mates how ‘to pigeon’. I’m hoping I’ll be able to catch it over the next couple of weeks as I earn it’s trust and then I’ll be in search of a local avian vet who can help safely remove the chip tag and life rings and then find someone to adopt it. I’m somewhat relieved that it wasn’t able to find ‘home’ because while it might be sleeping rough at the moment (don’t know where it is going at night) is has access to everything it needs to survive here and happily spends its days from dawn to dusk in my yard and on the roof without exploitation. It desperately does NOT want to be caught which is no surprise but our climate is very favourable.

Pigeons aren’t the most popular pets over here, but people are adopting them as pets and there’s a small community of people helping each other with pigeons as pets – normally it’s found fancy pigeons and ferals that wind up as pets rather than lost racers but every pigeon who gets a forever home instead of living rough or with people who don’t really care about them as individuals is a win. I’ve found so much information from your site that will help me to help my local pigeons and I’ll be forever grateful for that.

So to you and your board - Clare, Jill, Aileen, Cheryl, Chava, Christiana; and to all your volunteers, affiliates, donors and supporters – thank you for caring so much about these gentle, loving, adorable and misunderstood birds in your corner of the world.

More Feedback