Izzy

I went to ACC on 2/28 to do a Bird Orientation for new volunteers. While taking pictures and checking on everybody, I came across a pair of baby pigeons (about 4 weeks old), one of which was gasping to breathe.



I contacted the Animal Care Director about the sick squeaker (that's what baby pigeons are called) and made arrangements to pull it and its cage mate from the shelter and take them on as fosters so that they could get immediate vet care. With the shelter's limited resources, their only choice would be to euthanize a sick pigeon but, thanks to the support of MickaCoo's donors, I was able to rush them to an avian vet where they tried to stabilize the poor thing with oxygen.




I named the sick, gasping one Izzy and his young, big-nosed friend, Kizzie. Unfortunately, Izzy was found to have an advanced case of Trichomoniasis (also called canker in pigeons) and the plaques were blocking his trachea which was why he was gasping to breathe. I was facing the likelihood of having to have him euthanized (because of the low likelihood of being able to successfully treat)when he died, under anesthesia, during the endoscopic exam. Even so, the care he received (oxygen, on-site lab tests, anesthesia, endoscopy, cremation) cost over $400. Click here (and scroll down to where it says "How can I help?") to make a donation towards Izzy's care.

Izzy had been found, with Kizzie, just the day before at the intersection of 19th & Dolores in SF and brought in by ACC Animal Control Officers. Poor little things were just dumped out there, sick and with no ability to survive. So cruel. If you've ever met a baby pigeon, you know how sensitive and sweet and needy they are. They must have been terrified (not to mention hungry, cold, scared, confused, miserable, etc. etc.) And, if you haven't met a baby pigeon, you should. Go to any local animal shelter or wildlife rescue and look for the pigeons with beaks that are WAY, WAY too big for their little faces and that squeak like mice. Look into their eyes and prepare to fall in love.



Kizzie, luckily for her, was in much better condition and her Trich has been treated. She's underweight and a filthy mess but breathing fine and doing really well in the kitchen-counter hospital.