the rescue report: Meet Percy, Pearl and Zella

Injured baby pigeon Percy at the animal shelter

When injured king pigeons like Percy, Pearl and Zella arrive in animal shelters, they are usually killed. While their wounds are treatable, shelter adoption rates even for healthy pigeons are very low and so injured pigeons are routinely killed unless a rescue like MickaCoo is available to provide avian vet care, foster housing and adoption services.

Just like dogs and cats that find themselves helpless and homeless in an animal shelter, birds like Percy and Pearl and Zella want to live. Why shouldn't our compassion include them?

Thanks to YOUR support, Percy, Pearl and Zella were rescued by MickaCoo. Each one has been taken into our foster care- their needs assessed, transported to and from avian vets, nursed and medicated and each of these three very lucky birds is recovering and doing great.

They would be dead if not for your support.

Four week old baby king pigeon Percy had a minor wound, likely the result of a predator's attack when he and several other king pigeons were "released" on Christmas Eve in a San Francisco park. He was extremely lucky to survive long enough to be taken to Animal Care & Control. MickaCoo was immediately contacted and, because of your support, able to provide the antibiotics and supportive care needed for him to heal from what otherwise might have been a fatal infection. He is fostered with two other Christmas Eve-released survivors and is available for adoption.

Pearl, another baby king pigeon, suffered a dislocated knee. Despite the pain and the procedures that she has had to endure to fix it, she is a feisty young bird who, rather surprisingly, demonstrates real interest in people. She was paired with another baby king pigeon, Carmine, on the day after she was rescued and they are inseperable. Carmine always goes along with Pearl to all her vet appointments. They are childhood sweethearts and may well grow up to become a mated pair. If they do choose to stay bonded, they will be adopted out together.

Zella is a big adult male king pigeon that has had extraordinary good luck. He arrived at the animal shelter with a big wound that appeared to be healing but that MickaCoo knew needed to be checked out. Upon examination, the vet discovered that somebody had previously stitched the wound with dental floss (without curing the infection). This means that Zella, who was probably being used as somebody's breeder, incurred a terrible wound that he survived, was amateurishly stitched up and then escaped (again?) and survived in the city long enough to get picked up and taken to the animal shelter and be rescued by MickaCoo and receive the vet care he required! He is recovering from surgery indoors and is quite at ease in his new, posh housing.

Each of these birds, just like all the others in our care, is a unique individual, deserving of compassion.

If they could, I know they would thank you for saving their lives.

I thank you for supporting MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue.