the rescue report

Seymour- a Guest Post by Jennifer Winograd

2012-01-18T11:24:00.001-08:00

He was just a flash of white in the gutter as we drove quickly by—a brief impression seen from the corner of our eyes that somehow didn’t seem right. Was that a pigeon? Better double back and check. It happens to us a lot—seeing phantom injured animals along the road side that require a closer look. Most of the time, thankfully, the phantom turns out to be nothing—a shoe, or a crumpled bit of paper or a piece of garbage—and we can go back about our business, grateful and relieved to know there is nothing more to worry about. But sometimes, sadly, it is an animal, and an animal that is still alive. Over the years, we’ve rescued injured cats, a squirrel, crows, a cormorant, lots of pigeons, and twice, dead mother opossums with live babies in their pouches. This was to be one of those times. As we drove slowly by, that flash of white was no longer there—a bad sign. So we pulled over and began a search. That is when we found him—the little flyer we would come to name Commander Seymour Higgins—huddled behind the back wheel of a large, parked truck, a wing hanging low and limp by his side.

After stopping into a few businesses to get the necessary equipment—a box and an old blanket, we caught him. He was tired and weak so it was easy to do. After chasing him out from under the truck, we cornered him in a doorway, and gently covered him with the blanket. Now we could get him to a wildlife rehabilitation facility where they would patch him up, give him several weeks of TLC, and release him back to his home, his flock, his life. At least, that is what we thought would happen. That is what we have naively thought had been happening all along, all these years, with all the injured or orphaned animals we’ve taken to local wildlife rehab facilities. We now fear that in so many of those cases, we were wrong.

Shortly after dropping Seymour at a local veterinary office that does wildlife rehab, we called to see if they had determined the extent of his injury. The vet we spoke to told us that Seymour had a fractured humerus—equivalent to the bone that runs from the shoulder to our elbow in our own arms. She explained that fixing it required surgery, and that were he a rare or endangered bird, they would do it. But given that he was, in her words, “just a pigeon,” making that sort of investment wouldn’t “make sense.” And since he may never be able to fly again, she told us that the only humane thing to do was to kill him. We were stunned.

This bird did not have a life-threatening injury; he had a fractured bone. If they killed him, it wouldn’t be for his benefit, it would be out of convenience. According to her, since he was born the wrong species—a pigeon instead of a peregrine falcon—his wing wasn’t worth fixing, even though this particular hospital raises thousands of dollars from animal lovers in our community every year for wildlife rehabilitation.

So we did what we had to do—we bit our tongues so that we could get Seymour out of danger. We smiled and bailed him out of the vet who refused to provide him any care other than a complimentary killing unless we paid for it, and took him to another vet specializing in wildlife rehabilitation. Again, we were treated to a discussion that revealed in what low regard Seymour’s life was held by those who were supposed to be his advocates: we were told that the clinic would be willing to take Seymour into their wildlife rehabilitation program and to perform the surgery for free, but only with the understanding that if, in the end, the surgery did not succeed in returning him to flight, he would be killed, and returning him to us for a lifetime of care instead would not be an option. With the dawning awareness that we had just pulled back a curtain on a very ugly side of wildlife rehabilitation, and desperate for Seymour to get the care he needed, we told them to perform the surgery on our behalf, and we would assume full responsibility for him, whatever the outcome.

At one point during the exam, we asked the vet if she believed Seymour was in much pain. “We can’t say for sure,” she answered. “But we can assume he is. After all, their biology is similar to ours. And we can therefore assume that what would cause us pain, would cause them pain, too.” Good advice, we thought, but wondered how when it came to the matter of life and death—the most grave and weighty decision of them all—this compelling similarity broke down?

How many other pigeons did we deliver to their deaths, thinking that we had done the right thing by taking them to a local wildlife rehabilitation facility? Looking back, I don’t know what it was that made me call to check up on Seymour as I had failed to do in all those other cases. Whatever its cause, I am glad I listened to that nagging doubt and followed up. Not only because I was able to save a life, and not only because I will be wiser and more discerning about whom to trust in the future, but because it brought Seymour, and then Eileen, into our lives.

When it became clear that, in addition to a broken bone Seymour had also suffered permanent nerve damage and would never fly again, we started to make arrangements for a lifetime of care. We contacted MickaCoo for advice on how to make Seymour as comfortable as possible in our home, and were told that one of the most important things for a pigeon’s well-being is the companionship of another pigeon. And so, not long after, we adopted Eileen from MickaCoo, a sweet, gentle, pigeon rescued by a kind woman in the South Bay who paid for her severely injured leg to be amputated. And then we began to research how to provide our friends with an environment that would be the next best thing to freedom.

Today, Seymour and Eileen live in an aviary on one of our balconies, overlooking the forest in the Oakland hills. They get fresh air and sunlight, and Eileen can even fly short distances. And little Seymour has transformed. As each of the wildlife rehabilitators that wanted to kill him predicted, Seymour did, initially, struggle with captivity. In the beginning, he was fearful, and he even seemed unhappy, a feeling compounded, no doubt, by the pain of his recovery, the pills I had to force down his throat twice a day, and the foreignness of his new life. But no longer. Fully recovered from his surgery, eating well, and no doubt happy for the companionship of Eileen, Seymour is a different bird than the one who first came to live with us. Last month he finished molting, and as his bedraggled feathers were replaced one by one with fresh, new ones, it was as though Seymour was reborn. Our once skinny, depressed, cowering little bird blossomed, and now does all the things that pigeons like to do: staring at his reflection in the mirror, claiming ownership of anything and everything in the aviary, and enjoying the abundant, tasty seeds he is offered daily. One recent afternoon, after he and Eileen happily splashed in a bath of warm water for half an hour, followed by a good preening, they both retreated to their favorite spots and took long naps in the sun. They looked so content. Although this summer was a tough one for both of them, they did what we all must do when life gets us down: we weather it, and come out on the other side, happy to be alive.

Life. That is what we would choose for ourselves. And despite all of the rationalizations built up to justify convenience killing by some wildlife rehabilitators—that is what every single animal would choose for themselves if given the choice. As No Kill advocates have done for animals in shelters, “No Kill” wildlife rehabilitators who do not subscribe to these views should likewise challenge the unethical assumptions upon which life and death calculations for so many injured wild animals are being based. If not, animals who could be saved will keep being killed, the public will continue to be misled by self-proclaimed “experts” that killing animals who are not mortally ill or injured is the right thing to do, and naive but well-intended animal lovers like us who think they are giving the injured animals they find a second chance at a wildlife rehabilitation facility will continue to unknowingly deliver birds like Seymour out of one danger and into an even graver one.

----

Jennifer Winograd is a founding Board member of the No Kill Advocacy Center, a national, non-profit organization dedicated to ending the systematic killing of animals in “shelters.” By challenging the false assumptions and excuses historically given by animal shelters to justify the annual killing of four million dogs and cats in our nation’s pounds and humane societies, and by promoting an alternative, life-affirming model of animal sheltering called the “No Kill Equation,” the No Kill Advocacy Center has inspired and assisted in the creation of No Kill communities throughout the United States.

Meet Percy, Pearl and Zella

2012-01-13T14:40:00.001-08:00

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.

Pearl's knee was dislocated

Zella recuperating after surgery

Links:

Elizabeth the Pigeon

2012-01-07T10:26:00.000-08:00

I received this email on 1/4 from Naomi, a member of the SFACC shelter team:

Elizabeth,

I was walking from my car to home last night when I saw the pigeon. The pigeon first ran onto Dolores Street, right in front of cars. The cars were able to stop in time. It took awhile to catch including several short flight across part of Dolores Street to the median. This bird does have a yellow band on its left leg with "#25".

When I went to SFACC on 1/7 to check on this and two other pigeons (baby kings found huddled under a car on New Year's Eve and named Valiant & Vivian by their rescuer), I discovered that the pigeon had been named Elizabeth by SFACC Super Volunteer Tracey (my volunteer mentor when I started 4 years ago).

It was the baby pigeons that urgently needed fostering and we were very fortunate that MickaCoo volunteer Janelle could offer them the indoor, supportive care and treatment they needed.

And, even though she was an adult and healthy bird, it seemed pretty mean to leave poor Elizabeth at the shelter alone. I brought her (fingers crossed) home to foster in my aviary.

She was a little shy at first.

And she is in fact a "she" (though for a short time I thought she might be a Fred rather than an Elizabeth).

She had two serious suitors- the young and flightless Pancho and the big, impressive grown man bird Milkshake Mike.

Hen's choose and she went with young Pancho which makes her a MickaCoogar.

She hasn't laid eggs yet but she and Pancho are honeymooning and working on their nest and soon I'll need to replace real eggs with fakes.

Elizabeth & Pancho are a beautiful king pigeon couple and they need a forever home. To adopt, please complete our online application and please- until there are homes for all of them, don't breed, don't buy- adopt!

Ringneck Doves as Pets, guest post by Cathy Kendall

2012-01-06T09:30:00.000-08:00

Ringneck Doves as Pets

Guest Post by Cathy Kendall

Doves make excellent pets. I’ve kept—and loved--many species of birds including geese, chickens, pigeons, parrots and finches, but I have a special place inmy heart for doves, especially Ringnecks. They are beautiful, gregarious, friendly birds and are easily cared for. They don’t bite or screamand they will amuse you with their antics. Their generally peaceful, easy-going ways make them a good choice for both experienced and first-time bird adopters.

Ringneck Doves can be kept indoors or out. Single doves can become quite affectionate and attached to their owners; however, they are social and are happiest with dove companions. Same-sex companions can live happily together or they can be kept in pairs or smallflocks. Should you adopt a true pair you will need to replace the hen’s eggs with artificial ones, a practice we call “birdy birth control.” Because they breed so readily in captivity, there are many domestic doves in need of homes so it’s not advisable to raise more doves. All too often MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue is contacted by someone who has suffered a change of circumstance and must suddenly attempt to find homes for a whole aviary full of doves. It is not a happy situation for the doves or their owners.

A single pet Ringneck Dove may be housed in a cage at least 24” x 30” though larger is always better. A dove kept in a cage that size should be allowed daily supervised time out of the cage for exercise and interaction with her people. A flight cage 62” high, 32” wide and 21” deep makes a suitable indoor home for a pair of Ringneck Doves.

If you plan to keep your doves outdoors, and they love sunshine and fresh air, you will need to build a sturdy aviary. The aviary must provide shelter from cold, wet weather as well as protect the doves from hawks, raccoons and neighborhood cats. This is accomplished by using welded wire with openings no larger than ½” square. The enclosure must also keep out rats and mice. An attractive aviary can be a lovely addition to your yard. When properly constructed it should require just a few minutes each day to keep your doves happy andhealthy and you will enjoy many pleasant hours watching them. They are hardy birds and do not require supplemental heat during our mild Bay Area winters.

A word of caution if you plan to adopt multiple doves: though generally peaceful, male Ringnecks can be quite territorial and it’s recommended that you allow four square feet of floor space per pair. (MickaCoo highly recommends under-crowding as a way to minimize stress, illness, risk of injury and expense.)

Doves have the same basic feed and care requirements as pigeons: a grain mix containing between 12-16% protein, pigeon gritand clean water. I feed my doves a high quality cockatiel mix with extra safflower seed added as a treat. I frequently provide my Ringnecks and with millet sprays, which they enjoy very much. They love greens and minced veggies and happily devour well-washed romaine lettuce leaves several times a week.

Ringneck Doves have been bred in many color variations including pure white, tangerine, pied and orange in addition to the deep gray-and-lavender wild type. They don’t come in bright colors like parrots, but their soft colors are lovely nonetheless. When properly cared for they can live for 20 years, so you can enjoy their companionship for a long time. If you are looking for a gentle, beautiful, undemanding pet, a dove just might be the right bird for you.

MickaCoo has many doves in need of adopters!

Please visit these links for more information:

Adopters Love Their Doves!

Available Birds

How to Create an Aviary

Adoption Application

www.MickaCoo.org

Adopters Love Their Doves

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here are just a few of our dove adopters stories. MickaCoo adopters LOVE their doves! (And, as pointed out by volunteer Janelle, Doves are pigeons too!)

SAMMY & BRIGID

Our family has been living with a pair of doves for almost a year now and I would like to share some of our experiences with you. While their names might portray a couple of tough-guys, Sam Spade and Brigid O'Shaughnessy are quite mellow. They are good listeners, who always have time for a story, their antics are entertaining, and they love hanging out. When not in the aviary or their indoor house, their favorite spot is the back of the dining room chair: if nobody's at the table they face the window keeping a watch on the neighborhood, but if you join them at the table, they'll turn around and face you (possibly to keep an eye out for any food opportunities that might avail themselves). The doves, Sam and Brigid, just love food. Generally they eat dove seed mix and roudybush pellets, supplemented with safflower seeds ("dove candy") and oyster shell. Brigid has a particular fondness for millet spray, and they both love their fresh greens-- especially what we have planted in the aviary (we have some potted leafy vegetables and we rotate the pots in an attempt to keep up with Brigid's and Sam's eating habits), and both have a special place for mache in their hearts.

While Brigid and Sam are small compared to pigeons, they are curious and brave, always ready to investigate anything new in their environment. They are quite selfless in their efforts to protect their "eggs" (fakes), including their dedicated duty to keep the "eggs" warm even during their transport to and from the aviary everyday. Brigid and Sam spend their mornings outside in an aviary, and then come inside when Tina and Tony, the pigeons, get their timeshare afternoon shift in the aviary. The main attraction in the aviary is a simple wide branch that allows Brigid and Sam to perch in the open part of the aviary. They especially enjoy the rain and prefer shade to sun. When not on the perch they are eating (food is a big deal for them), foraging for seeds on the aviary floor or cuddling up to the potted lettuce that they so enjoy munching on. Sam also enjoys the mirror and the mirror provides a good audience for his bow-cooing.

Cooing is very important for Sammy. My son, Colin, says that Sam is a terrific alarm clock as he coos madly at half past six every morning (when he routinely goes outside to the aviary). In the summer, Sammy cooed to the sun as it rose in the morning and cooed goodnight to the sun as it set. Sometimes he'll coo outside of daylight hours: we live about two miles from train tracks and as the trains cross the streets at night they whistle, Sammy coos right back, and, of course, the trains respond with another whistle. While all this cooing might make Sammy appear vain, I can assure you that he's quite guileless. He's a very responsible dove, always looking out for Brigid, his "eggs," and listening intently whenever you talk to him. And Brigid returns those affections.

Katrina Johnston

DAISY & MAGIC and PIERRE & LUCIA

My first experience with doves was as a wildlife rehabilitator. They would come into the wildlife center, usually caught by a cat and they were amazingly calm and easy to handle but I had never met a domestic dove until I discovered MickaCoo. I had been a supporter of Mickaboo from its inception but didn’t know about MickaCoo then I met Elizabeth Young who introduced me to the joys of domestic doves.

I have two dove couples and I do mean couples as they are forever lovers. Pierre and Lucia are more like a long happy married couple while Magic and Daisy are the honeymooners, at least Magic thinks it is a honeymoon every day. Doves are very romantic, the males sing their soft love songs day and night. My doves are in a double flight cage which I wheel outside every morning so they can feel the weather and get sunshine which they show how much they love by stretching out their wings to get every ounce of sun. Originally I had thought to build then an outdoor aviary but the longer I have them the less likely I am to do that as I would miss their sweet voices. They never keep me awake but it is lovely to wake in the night and then hear them cooing so I will probably leave it the way it is.

I have other birds but there is something about the doves that warms my heart and I can’t image not having them. They are very easy to care for- 15 minutes in the morning and that includes chopping a salad and that’s it. They are also very inexpensive as they don’t need toys like exotic birds, they have each other. Maybe someday I will build a aviary but for now I just enjoy every minute of them in and out of the house.

by Marsha Bassett

DESI & SOPHIE

It was a difficult time and I was looking for comfort. An adoption plea caught my eye for a tame dove needing a home. I’d never cared for a dove, but I loved the beautiful peaceful sounds they make and their gentle ways. “She’s lonely, too”, I thought. We could cheer each other up.

I emailed Elizabeth Young, a rescued dove’s finest friend. The dove I had seen in the ad was now in an aviary, and would need to be adopted along with her new mate. Elizabeth explained that it’s unusual to adopt a single dove as they need the company of their own kind. “I could build an aviary” it occurred to me. “I’ll have a roomful of love and save sweet lives, too.” Reading how naturally healthy and hearty these birds are, and that given a safe outdoor environment, they can bring years of beauty and joy to a home, and with relatively little expense.

In the end, I came home with two. He was a little bit handicapped and she was a dainty bird appreciative of his awkward protection. These two were perfect for bringing into our home. We were unsure, however, how it would work with our other animals. So we decided to foster and see how things worked out.

We are a blended family now, with a dog, a rabbit, a parrot and two doves who have since brought us all endless charm, and to me, daily comfort. Every morning is a celebration of love as our dove husband bows and coos to everything that catches his fancy; his dainty wife, the birds outside, the squirrels who come to gawk at us, shiny casters on our parrot’s cage, and gratefully, to me.

Give two lonesome doves (or more!) a safe home and you will be richly rewarded from the first day forward. Our Dove Story has a happy ending. And yours can, too.

by Gina Farr

MISSION KIDS DOVES

We at Mission Kids Co-op pre-school in San Francisco are the happy caretakers of six doves from MickaCoo Rescue. The kids love hearing the doves cooing in their outdoor aviary and watching them fly back and forth and jostle for position on the branches and in their nesting boxes. The birds seem to love watching the classroom in action-they are always facing the windows so they can see the kids playing inside. The kids and parents in the co-op take turns feeding and caring for the doves each day, and learning about how to make sure they stay safe and healthy.

The doves are a wonderful addition to the pre-school, and we are grateful to MickaCoo for providing the resources we needed to get started: support, knowledge, and doves!

Julie Lane

co-op parent

***

MickaCoo is in URGENT need of dove fosters and adopters in the SF/Bay Area! Please share this story (link - http://www.rescuereport.org/2012/01/adopters-love-their-doves.html) with others and if you would like to get in on the dove love, complete our online application.

Thank you!

Ringneck Doves As Pets by Cathy Kendall

HELP!

2011-12-30T00:56:00.000-08:00

HELP! I do nothing but ask for help and support and donations all the time and you give a lot. A LOT! But more is needed.

This is why more help is needed. These requests for help came in just this week! (Plus we are already caring for 109 foster pigeons and doves.)

MONDAY 12/26/11

Email received:

There was a white dove wandering around our front street in Fremont, and now it has taken residence on our porch for the last day and night. We provided a box and some food, but need to know where to take it where someone can take care of it longterm. It tries to fly but can't lift off more than about a foot. It may have clipped wings or be injured. Thanks. Julie

Outcome: I coach finders on care and juvenile king pigeon is taken to and accepted by Ohlone Wildlife Center but dies overnight from pellet gun wounds.

MONDAY 12/26

Phone call received:

SFACC has three juvenile king pigeons (two injured, one with respiratory infection) in need of rescue ASAP.

Outcome: Shelter vet starts birds on injectable antibiotics and I pick up and transport to foster volunteer 12/27. All are recovering well.

TUESDAY 12/27

E-mail received:

Hi there. My brother has too many pigeons for the cages he has. The pigeons are living in very cramped quarters. Since he lives at our mother's house, she is forcing him to get rid of about 10 pigeons. The pigeons are in Livermore. Would your agency take the pigeons, or do you know of any agency closer to LIvermore that would take them?

Outcome: MickaCoo is too full. I attempt to coach would-be-surrenderer in how best to rehome or find alternative rescue options. Status unknown.

THURSDAY 12/29

E-mail received:

Hello, I have an aviary and the pigeons to go with it. My grandmother has become quite ill and she’s been a pigeon rescuer for many years. I am incapable of managing the care of her pigeons and the SPCA will not help me to relocate them. If you are able to assist me with the removal and permanent relocation of my grandmother’s pigeons, I will donate the aviary. It’s HUGE; however, it has been neglected as I am a working mother of two young children and live 45 minutes away from my grandmother’s property. Daily trips to check in and feed the pigeons has not been possible for me over the past three weeks. My grandmother is in a convalescent home temporarily while I’m searching to secure her permanent long-term care. Any response and/or advice from you regarding her pigeons will be greatly appreciated.

Outcome: MickaCoo is too full. I attempt to coach would-be-surrenderer in how best to rehome or find alternative rescue options and another volunteer will be going to assess the situation. Status TBD.

THURSDAY 12/29

E-mail received:

Hi Elizabeth, I hope you are doing fine right now, I didn't built my aviary yet due to my situation.

I want to ask you a huge favor is a way that you can put in the mickacoo list a few of my birds? I know you have many birds already in that list, but sometimes people want a feral piji here and there, I have mostly couples!!! even my semi blind piji just found love in pancho he came with strings and lost one toes, he was very skinny and sick but he gained weight and became a beatiful bird, I was planning to release him this coming weekend after the fireworks from New Years eve but now I feel bad because Honey is in love with him.

Anyways, I can take pictures about different couples that I have with the stories about how I found them and their situations and how they found love here in the house. Please let me know, I'm able to give them around California, I can drive any place just to see that they are going to be in a good place, I don't want to ship since some of them are disabled.

Thank you Elizabeth, I'll do my aviary soon, but is going to be small I don't have a big yard and I want to keep the ones that are more sick like the PMV or the ones that probably people won't adopt. Please let me know. hugs.

Outcome: MickaCoo is too full to take birds in but will post birds on website. I offer a large, unused three-compartment cage suitable for use as an outside aviary. Status TBD.

FRIDAY 12/30

E-mail received:

12/29/11 SFACC takes in an injured king pigeon. P/U FROM RPS SIDE PATIO. UPON IMPOUND, I NOTICED A LACERATION UNDERNEATH RIGHT WING. ADVISED DR. BING. SAYS IT APPEARS TO BE AN OLD INJURY AND IT IS OK TO KENNEL, BAYTRIL po sid--bd
Outcome: Foster home needed!

Help! Volunteer! A great many of you are already helping but I am asking for more. MickaCoo needs volunteers who can help with PR and outreach. We need volunteers who can help get our new website built out. We need volunteers who will network with other rescues, shelters and sanctuaries about ways to help more pigeons and doves. We need volunteers to help with fundraising. Email me- AdoptKings at gmail dot com.

Help! Donate! I'm told that the next two days are the busiest donation days of the year. If you can make a tax-deductible donation in support of this effort, please do! Every dollar donated goes to saving the lives of these innocent birds. Every dollar donated is one less that we need to chase. Click here to donate online (and please consider making your gift a recurring one). Or checks can be made out to CI: MickaCoo and mailed to 354 Pine Street, #700, SF CA 94104.

Help! Adopt! MickaCoo has more than 100 amazing birds in need of homes. They are easy to care for and much beloved by their adopters. Pigeons and doves can live indoors or outside and it's not hard to create a home for them. MickaCoo will help you.

Help! Speak out! Like us on Facebook. Share the stories of these birds. Copy and paste these links into an email to your friends and family.

MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue

Gentle Kings Need Help to Escape Cruel Fate

Why Have a Pigeon as a Pet?

Doves as Pets

How to Create an Aviary for Rescued Pigeons or Doves

Videos

Birds in Need of Homes!

Thank you! Your help is much needed and greatly appreciated.

Boo's Story

2011-12-29T16:56:00.000-08:00

I sure wish Boo would tell us his story as I am sure it is full of many dramatic highs and lows. This is just the little bit I know.

On 12/12, I received this email:

Please help.

I live in Hayward Ca. There has been a King Pigen in the area going on four weeks. Local amamil control will not take the brid. Can someone contact me and see if someone will come and get the pigen. I can be reach on cell phone 510-XXX-XXXX.

MickaCoo was full and I was booked solid with no time to go to Hayward and try to catch a free-flying pigeon. Despite his surviving for weeks hanging around the trailer park, this bird was at grave risk and already on borrowed time. Domestic pigeons don't last long in the wild.

I had recently met a really nice Hayward Animal Care & Control volunteer named Susan. She had transported baby king pigeon Carmine from the shelter in Hayward to me in SF and of course no good deed goes unpunished. I alerted her to the bird's plight.

Amazingly, Susan (who bottle-feeds motherless kittens, docents at the zoo and protests circuses among other kindnesses) lept into pigeon rescue action and the very next day I received this email:

I am happy to let you all know that I have the bird! He is safe, and I'm working on setting up a room for him to have to himself. HOWEVER, I can only foster him until there is room at Mickacoo. Please let me know when there is an opening for this little guy. Thanks! Susan

Susan named this handsome, lucky bird Boo.

He appears to be a big racing-type homer or maybe a king-homer cross. He has one dark brown eye and one bright gold eye and a single brown feather in the center of his breast. Susan cared for him in her home for a couple of days and then, when we were ready for him on 12/21, brought him to meet me at the Wulf foster aviary.

Usually when we set pigeons free in a big, beautiful aviary full of lots of nice birds, they swoop off with nary as much as a backward glance. But not Boo.

Susan and I were there for over an hour, weighing, banding, treating and releasing three other pigeons and Boo just hung out nearby the whole time. He didn't seem comfortable in the aviary and surprised us by not joining in with the other pij. The other three releases- Cloud and Silvy and Pip- all did no problem.

But not Boo. Boo hadn't been particularly tame while at home with Susan. He spent most of his time there looking out the window. I wish we knew his story, where he came from, how he came to be out in the world all alone.

He tried out a few alternate perches but still seemed ill at ease.

Since the aviary is under the care of a house sitter for the holidays, I didn't feel quite right leaving Boo and so brought him with me home to my aviary, where I could keep an eye on him, just in case.

I don't know why he was so unsettled that day but Boo has settled in fine at my aviary. Here he is showing off the Captain Morgan in him.

And he likes that bird in the mirror.

And here I imagine he might be saying "Tell Susan Hi!"

Oh Boo. I wish you could tell us your story.

P.S. Susan is now caring for three injured baby king pigeons- Percy, Mercy and Kristi- rescued from SFACC. MickaCoo's foster network was still too full and so once again Susan is helping birds for whom we had no room.

Please help us help birds- foster or adopt!

Thank you! We did it!

2011-12-28T12:37:00.000-08:00

We Did It!!!

By Elizabeth Young - Founding Director

Rescued fantail Dolly says Thank you!

We did it! Thank you SO much! With the generous help of 52 donors, MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue has met the challenge of raising $4K and secured a permanent place within the GlobalGiving* online community! With this important step, we have successfully opened an entirely new channel through which to publicize the plight of abandoned and homeless pigeons and doves.

MickaCoo believes any bird that can live free, should live free but we also believe that when timing out at shelters, domestic unreleasable pigeons and doves should have the benefit of a rescue to help them find homes. Euthanasia should not be the solution to their homelessness.

By supporting MickaCoo, you are challenging that approach and supporting an ever-growing compassion. Everybody deserves a chance and, with your help, MickaCoo saves birds that otherwise would have been euthanized. Together, just this year, we placed more than 300 pigeons and doves in wonderful, forever homes. You can read the story of one of our adoptions and see pictures of some of the birds we helped in Home for the Holidays.

And the demand for homes is ongoing. MickaCoo has more than 115 pigeons and doves in foster care, awaiting their forever homes. We are full and have a waiting list of birds that need rescue. Please continue to spread the word about how easy it is to save innocent lives by providing a home to a pair of pigeons or doves.

Your help and support matter! Together, we have earned our place in the GlobalGiving community. Pigeons and doves are no less worthy of compassion and care than any other living creature.

Thank you!

*GlobalGiving is an online fundraising platform where organizations raise funds to support their projects. In addition to a large network of individual donors and corporate sponsors, GlobalGiving also offers online tools and trainings.

Since 2002, GlobalGiving has raised $56,487,205 from 244,476 donors who have supported 5,143 projects.
Each week, about 40,000 individuals visit GlobalGiving's website, offering great exposure for our partners' projects!
GlobalGiving received $5.2 million in donation volume in 2010 through partnerships with dozens of American and international corporations including Nike, Dell, Lilly and Discovery.
Our giving tools—tribute cards, fundraisers, etc.—make it easy for our partners to expand their donor base and encourage donors to stay connected.

Links:

Home for the Holidays

2011-12-23T10:53:00.000-08:00

Having a home fulfills such a fundamental need that we can scarcely understand the importance of having one unless we don't. Everybody needs someplace to belong, a space in this world that can be called one's own.

There is no greater gift than being given a home. Here is the story of one.

On September 10th, rescued king pigeon Peppermint and I attended the Marin County Adoption Fair. We spoke to a lot of folks and talked about the plight of pigeons in shelters throughout the Bay Area. One couple that we spoke to, Claudia & Jim, followed up to learn more. In October, I went to their home and we considered the aviary possibilities. Here they are posing in front of where their aviary would be built.

Claudia & Jim came to my home to meet the pigeons and see my aviary and in November, they began construction on theirs.

It was completed in early December and on the ninth, I delivered four very lucky pigeons to their new home.

Betti and her mate Tux and Rascal and her mate Derby were immediately pleased with their beautiful new aviary where they are the big birds!

Jim & Claudia, pictured here with Rascal & Betti, are the latest adopters to open their hearts and offer a home to rescued pigeons. Claudia and Jim didn't really need pigeons, but they saw pigeons that needed them. And they responded to that need.

This year, MickaCoo has placed more than 300 pigeons and doves in wonderful, safe, forever homes. Here are just a few of the lives that have been saved.

CHARLIE & SANTINO

EILEEN

GRACIE (AND HER MATE HAKU)

AVA & JENNY (PICTURED WITH ADOPTERS ANNYE & JANE)

TERRA SAVIA'S FLOCK OF 14

YUZU & QUINCE (PHOTO BY SHAE IRVING)

PETE!

ODIYAN'S FLOCK OF 14

216 PERSIAN HIGH FLYERS! (SURRENDERED FROM LUCKY DOG PET SHOP)

HOFFMAN FAMILY DOVE FLOCK OF 8

TEDDY (AND HIS MATE CHASE)

JOEY & SUNNY

DUPREE (PICTURED CONTEMPLATING THE MANY FOSTER BIRDS IN NEED OF HOMES)

MOSHI

TWELVE KING PIGEONS DUMPED LIKE TRASH (PICTURED HERE AT HARVEST HOME WITH A WELCOMING DUCK)

FRANCIS

DOVE NORMAN & HIS MATE SASHA (PICTURED HERE WITH ADOPTERS CLEMENS & FRIEDERIKE)

LUCIA & PIERRE

DAISY & MAGIC

And many more.

Thank you for all of your support. YOU have made saving these innocent lives possible. Without you, it couldn't have been done.

Wishing you all the blessings of the season,

Elizabeth & MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue

Joy's Death

2011-12-20T18:33:00.001-08:00

Sometimes cracks in the rescue system result in tragedy. In this case, a bird who someone cared enough about to put a blank band on her foot was allowed to free fly (unsafe for king pigeons) and was injured by a predator. (I think it was a dog because she had injuries on both sides of her body but it might have been a hawk or a cat.)

On 12/12, the injured bird was found at 7th & Lake in SF and taken to the SF animal shelter. A wound was noted, considered to be healing and no treatment was provided.

On 12/15, I was notified about her by shelter staff.

On 12/16, I inquired about her condition and asked that she be started on antibiotics but she wasn't.

On 12/19, I picked her up and her wound was smelly and seeping bloody fluid. I tried to get her emergency treatment but none was available. I started her on oral antibiotics but it was too little too late.

On 12/20, I named her Joy in the hope that I could save her and took her to the vet. His exam revealed how terribly infected her wound had become. She had massive amounts of necrotic tissue and was euthanized because she was suffering with virtually no hope of recovering. We have rescued more than 500 pigeons and doves since 2007 and Joy is only the third that we have euthanized. I hate taking away their last chance to live but, in this case as with the previous two, it was the only mercy we could offer.

I've included graphic pictures below. The first shows her wound on the day I picked her up and the following pictures show what was revealed the next day by the vet's examination.

I do think that Joy could have survived her initial wound if she had gotten care sooner. Please support your community shelters and rescues. They are overburdened and under-resourced.

WARNING: PHOTOS ARE GRAPHIC

Birds that are wounded NEED ANTIBIOTICS ASAP!

Special Birds Need a Special Home!

2011-12-18T18:06:00.001-08:00

All of MickaCoo's foster birds are special and in need of special homes. They need to be adopted by people who are compassionate and dependable. People who don't think of pets as disposable. People who understand the profound responsibility one is entrusted with when another's life is in your hands.

And amongst all the special birds we have, there are sometimes the extra special.

Felix & Harper are a beautiful, sweet little pair of mated pigeons that are mild mannered and gentle. They can't live in any of the foster aviaries we currently have because they get stressed and bullied by the bigger, pushier pigeons. They need a nice quiet little slow-life kind of aviary where they can enjoy the sun and wind and have room to be birds.

Felix and Harper were not in good shape when they were surrendered to the Marin Humane Society. Felix, a tiny, sweet, pure white fantail, had been bullied. He was thin, stressed and missing feathers from being picked on. Harper, a pretty white homer (the kind they use as "wedding release doves"), was suffering from a painful ruptured feather cyst and had been for at least a year. When a MickaCoo volunteer rescued them from the shelter as vulnerable and in need of special care, they were single, too stressed to be mated.

But once in foster care, it only took a few days of safety and security for them to feel well enough to fall in love and become a mated couple.

Harper's cyst has been treated and she is now fully recovered. Felix's feathers have grown in and he is much happier. Harper & Felix are very devoted to their nest and (fake) eggs and are willing to make friends with gentle people. But they need a home!

Stanley & Robbie are another very special little couple in need of a special home. Stanley is an adorable little West of England Tumbler hen with pearl eyes and lushly feathered feet. She was knocked out of the sky by a hawk and rescued by a passing Good Samaritan. She's been fostered in MickaCoo since August. Recently, she married a cute little black and white roller pigeon named Robbie. Robbie was taken to the Berkeley animal shelter as a stray and timed out and facing euthanasia when taken into MickaCoo's foster care.

Stanley & Robbie are also a small, mild-mannered couple and, while they got along OK in the foster aviary with all the big, boisterous pigeons, they weren't strong enough to claim the nest box they needed as a mated couple.

Now they are living indoors in a flight cage, happy to be able to have a nest but in need of a bigger home where they can fly around and have fun without being dominated by big birds.

Harper & Felix and Stanley & Robbie would make a wonderful little flock for a very lucky pigeon adopter. They would get along beautifully and it would be fun and easy to make this little foursome very happy.

These four little birds don't need a huge aviary. They would be happy in a nicely configured garden nook or a corner aviary.

They would love a custom-built home like this.

Or they would be thrilled to see a MickaCoo adopter set up one of the donated 8' x 7' x 4' flight cages that we have available for low-cost purchase.

It's easy to create a beautiful, safe outdoor aviary and MickaCoo will help guide you along the way. (How to Create an Aviary for Rescued Pigeons)

Please- think about enhancing your home and your life with a beautiful aviary and giving sweet little birds like Harper & Felix and Stanley & Robbie the greatest gift- a home. (Online Adoption Application)

Contact me if you have questions. We're full up with a waiting list. We've got more than 115 pigeons and doves including blind Lucky and her mate Biscuit, special fellows Lola & Luigi, doves Mario & Bergamot and so many more. They all need great homes and we need adopters in order to be able to rescue the birds that need our help. Every day we are contacted about birds in need.

Everybody Deserves a Chance

2011-12-15T15:46:00.000-08:00

Everybody deserves a chance.

That’s how MickaCoo started. There was a gap in the animal rescue world: pigeons and doves were being put to death in Bay Area shelters. Everyone else had a rescue group, except these birds.

MickaCoo is the only Bay Area organization dedicated to rescuing unreleasable domestic pigeons and doves, who, without a home, are dead. Our purpose is to meet that one simple need.

In a world that gets more complicated every day, this is one problem with a simple solution. Together, you and I and all of us have closed that deadly gap in the animal rescue community and we are proof of the lives that can be saved when we have compassion for everyone. When we give everyone a chance.

Before MickaCoo, this problem was invisible. Nobody even knew that hundreds of pigeons and doves each year were being euthanized in shelters. Now these birds have us speaking up for them. We’re giving each one a chance to live.

If you are reading this, you’ve been part of this solution. Together, we have done something that none of us could have done alone. You've helped spread the word; some of you have adopted birds; many of you have volunteered and donated; all of you have helped.

This year alone we fostered and found wonderful forever homes for more than 300 birds, including 12 king pigeons that were dumped like trash in a parking lot, 216 Persian High Flyer pigeons that were left behind when a Berkeley pet store closed down and 10 white homers who'd been used for years in lab testing. Think about that. Most of these birds would have been euthanized if it weren't for you.

Together, with each of us doing the part that we can, however big or small, we have created a capacity to respond that no one of us could provide alone. The MickaCoo network helps people when they find strays, when they need help for their birds because of a health or financial crisis, when there are birds timing out in shelters...

I’m writing to ask you to do it again this year.

MickaCoo is growing. We’re now a sponsored project of Community Initiatives, which means we are becoming a sustainable organization. We will be able to attract grants and continue filling this need. Each of YOU has helped us get here.

We’re headed into a new year, and I need your help once again to save the lives of birds. I am asking you to renew your commitment to MickaCoo through 2012. There are three important ways that you can help.

Adopt! MickaCoo is full with more than 115 birds in foster care and we have a waiting list for new birds that need to come in. Create an aviary. Apply to adopt. MickaCoo's pigeon and dove adopters LOVE their birds. We are open and available throughout the holidays. Pass it on.

Volunteer. Join our Outreach Team or Foster & Adoption Team or our Fundraising Team or our IT Team (please!)

Donate. Please, if you can, make a financial contribution, invest in MickaCoo’s future. One way is to support us becoming a permanent member of the GlobalGiving online community. To do so, we must prove that we can raise $4000 from 50 donors before the end of the year and we are 71% of the way there. We need at least 24 more donors to contribute a total of $1140 in the next 16 days. Click here to help us meet the GlobalGiving challenge.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all of your support. It is an incredible privilege for me to be part of this team with you. Together we are helping birds that no one else would help. Because of you and MickaCoo, pigeons and doves have a chance.

Elizabeth, founding director

MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue

MickaCoo Needs You!

2011-12-15T11:42:00.000-08:00

MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue depends on you to help save birds that would otherwise be euthanized.

We need your talents and time. Please join the MickaCoo team in whatever way works for you. You DO make a difference!

Fostering: Our foster homes are the heart and soul of MickaCoo. They provide a life-saving temporary home for rescued birds until permanent homes are found.

Marketing & Promotions - Online / Print / Merchandise / Media: We need your help with social media networking, graphic design, production, web development, copywriting, photography, videography, and online marketing. We need your talents for the creation of print/web marketing collateral (flyers, posters, ads, merchandise, web banners/mini-sites, profile descriptions, photos, videos), and social media networking (writing/posting to our Twitter, Facebook, blog).

PR / Press: MickaCoo needs folks who have some experience reaching out to media. We're looking for folks who can write and distribute press releases, newsletters, etc.

Outreach / Adoption Events: MickaCoo attends many adoption events throughout the Bay Area where we introduce pigeons and doves to the public. (When people meet pigeons, they fall in love with pigeons.) We need volunteers who enjoy working with people and are enthusiastic about promoting adoption to help set up, talk to the public, care for the birds during the event, and answer questions.

Transport: Help to transport our birds from shelters, to vet appointments, and foster homes.

Administrative: Now more than ever MickaCoo needs help to develop and maintain our administrative systems. We need help with everything administrative, including data entry, bookkeeping and many other day-to-day tasks.

Special Event Planning: MickaCoo needs to host special fundraising events throughout the year. We need volunteers to help in every stage of planning and facilitating these special events. (Save the date: 6/10/12 for our International Pigeon Day Event)

Please email Elizabeth to help save birds like Pearl, Felix & Harper and all the many other pigeons and doves that are counting on MickaCoo. Thank you!

Mickaboo & 'Coo Holiday Party 2011

2011-12-05T13:14:00.000-08:00

Wow! The Mickaboo & 'Coo annual Holiday Party and Silent Auction was held at The Eagles Hall in Livermore on Saturday and it was quite an event!

Thanks to a whole lot of very generous support and participation from a great many of you, MickaCoo raised $2,056 from the Silent Auction! And we still have a number of really wonderful items available which we are planning to make available via online auctions if we can inspire an eBay-savvy volunteer to help us! (Email me at AdoptKings at gmail dot com to help!)

This very successful auction would not have been possible without many hours of help from Margie Gear (coordinator for the combined 'Boo & Coo event), tremendous support (and many miles) from 'Coo's auction coordinator Marsha Bassett and the cool-under-pressure banking talents of event cashier (and Costume Contest winner) Cheryl "Pay the Pigeon" Dickinson!

MickaCoo gratefully thanks these many individuals and companies for their donations in support of the pigeons and doves that depend on our help:

Marsha Bassett

Margie Gear

Cheryl Dickinson

Lucy Tolmach

Rhonda Bennon

Jaclyn Oppedisano

Beth Pforr

Karen Benzel

Louisa Jaskulski

Kate Edwards

Mary Long

Karen Kalumuck

Katie Wunderlich

J Brooke Patterson Studio

P Blau Art

Ingrid Taylar Photography

Jordan Vineyard & Winery

Art for the Birds

Megan Wolfe Photography

Alice Finney Jewelry

Artist Jaclyn Alderete

Artist Lacey Bryant

Terra Savia Winery

explOratorium

Hackney Horse & Carriage

Victoria Webb: Looking Glass Photography

Wayne Pacelle & The Humane Society of the US

Lori McIntosh Photography

Mermaids Tattoo

Shae Irving: Artful Jammer

And, thanks to an incredibly generous $500 matching grant offered to party goers by Dr. Sanders and the Wildwood Veterinary Hospital, an additional $1110 was raised and 4 more donors were won in the critical GlobalGiving challenge. (We're about half way to our goal with 26 days remaining.)

Thank you SO much to everybody for supporting MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue so generously. Your help makes all the difference for these sweet, innocent birds that would otherwise face euthanasia as the "solution" to their plight. Here are photo albums from the event.

Mickaboo & 'Coo Holiday Party 2011

Mickaboo Holiday Party pictures by Vincent Hrovat

Holiday Party pictures by artist, photographer & MickaCoo volunteer Megan Wolfe (www.MeganWolfePhoto.com)

Mickaboo & 'Coo Holiday Party Photos by www.meganwolfephoto.com

Carmine

2011-12-05T13:01:00.001-08:00

Check back soon for Carmine's story!

Pearl

2011-12-05T12:39:00.001-08:00

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATES

I was alerted on Thursday 12/1 by SFACC volunteers that there was an injured baby king named Pearl in need of rescue and I picked her (?) up that evening.

The poor thing, only about 5 weeks old, had a dislocated knee (either from rough handling at the live poultry market or from when she was being caught to save her from a bad death out in the world as a stray) and I took her to Wildwood Vet Hospital in Portola for treatment on Friday 12/2.

Later that afternoon, Hayward Animal Shelter volunteer Susan (seen here with Gypsy), transported another baby king in need of rescue from Hayward to my home in SF.

I named him (?) Carmine. He is a very serious baby king. He and Pearl have become fast friends and are keeping each other company.

Here Nurse/Dove Lily encourages them to eat their breakfast.

Check back for updates on Pearl's progress and, if you can make a donation in support of her, please visit this DONATE link for details.

1/18/12 UPDATE

Pearl has been making great progress just from time spent wearing a soft tape hobble. She's done so well that we're no longer expecting that she'll require corrective surgery.

And very surprisingly to me, despite all that Pearl has gone through at the hands of well-intended but still scary and sometimes pain-making humans, she is very interested in people! Much more so than most of the aviary pigeons. Each bird is incredibly unique.

Pearl has recently been able to go hobble-free!

She and Carmine are still BFF and I suspect will grow up to become a mated couple. If they stay together, they will be adopted together.

These lovely birds need a home. Please complete MickaCoo's online adoption application to get started.

$4K in 38 Days?

2011-11-23T13:04:00.000-08:00

Please scroll down for updates.

MickaCoo has 38 days to inspire at least 50 different donors to contribute a total of $4000 through our GlobalGiving campaign to earn a permanent place on their site and gain exposure to and support from a whole new network.

GlobalGiving connects qualified nonprofits with people and corporations who have time, money, or goods to give. MickaCoo needs this connection.

To help MickaCoo in this way (and we need your help), you can-

- Click on this link and give online

- Click on this link and post to your Facebook and Twitter channels

- Send this link (http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/mickacoo-pigeon-and-dove-rescue) to your networks and ask that they support this unique effort

- Text GIVE 9380 to 80088 to donate $10

- Help us with creative and technical support to get the word out

11/28 UPDATE:

We're 22% of the way to our donor goal with 11 of the 50 needed and 12% of the way to our dollar goal with $470 of the $4K required. MickaCoo has 33 days left to inspire at least 39 people to donate an average of $91 each. Or 177 donors could give $20 each. There are many ways that we can make this happen.

The benefits to MickaCoo of becoming a member of the GlobalGiving community include:

Since 2002, GlobalGiving has raised $54,260,759 from 234,117 donors who have supported 4,922 projects.
Each week, about 40,000 individuals visit GlobalGiving's website, offering great exposure for our partners' projects!
GlobalGiving received $5.2 million in donation volume in 2010 through partnerships with dozens of American and international corporations including Nike, Dell, Lilly and Discovery.
GlobalGiving's projects raised close to $1 million during matching campaigns in 2010.
Our giving tools—tribute cards, fundraisers, etc.—make it easy for our partners to expand their donor base and encourage donors to stay connected.
GlobalGiving's well-respected reputation gives donors and companies added assurance in donating to your project. Donors and corporations know that we carefully vet the organizations whose projects are posted on our site and their donations are safe with us.

Your support of MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue in this fundraising campaign will have a lasting benefit beyond the dollars you give. This is our fundraising campaign for 2011. Please click on this link to lend your support to this effort. We won't be able to do it without you.

Community Initiatives says Yes to MickaCoo

2011-11-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

MickaCoo's evolution to sustainability reached another early milestone. On 11/15, we received word that Community Initiatives (CI) had accepted MickaCoo as a fiscally sponsored project. Prudy Kohler, CI's Director of Fiscally Sponsored Project & Philanthropic Services says,

"Community Initiatives chose to accept MickaCoo Pigeon and Dove Rescue (MPDR) as a fiscally sponsored project because it is in line with Community Initiative’s mission of service to the community. MPDR fills a gap in the animal rescue network by providing shelters for pigeons and doves, as well as veterinary care and community education regarding the advantages of keeping these birds as pets. MPDR partners with a number of Bay Area animal shelters, humane societies, and animal welfare organizations. Project director, Elizabeth Young, has many years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and will continue to be a strong leader for the organization as it grows."

But "fiscal sponsorship" doesn't mean financial support. MickaCoo is actually more challenged now to fundraise than we ever have been.

Fiscal sponsorship is an activity by which a public charity, tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, provides financial and programmatic oversight of unincorporated nonprofit projects that allows those fiscally sponsored projects to receive grants and tax-exempt donations from government, foundations, and individuals.

Locating with a fiscal sponsor such as Community Initiatives frees projects to pursue what they do best: identify and creatively address important needs in their communities.

Community Initiatives believes in the power of community groups to develop fresh, exciting ideas that are of real-time public benefit, and our services can support these efforts in crucial ways.

Mickaboo & MickaCoo published this joint press release:

MICKABOO COMPANION BIRD RESCUE announces Transfer of MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue

(11/16/11) Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue is very proud to announce the fledging of its first offspring, MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue. MickaCoo has been a part of Mickaboo for four years, and has grown into a highly successful rescue. Under the wing of its new fiscal sponsor, Community Initiatives, a California nonprofit organization, MickaCoo will continue to pursue its rescue goals in ways not feasible for Mickaboo, including hiring paid staff. Elizabeth Young, founding director of MickaCoo says, “I turned to Mickaboo for assistance starting with the very first pigeon that I ever helped to find a home and their incredibly generous support has profoundly contributed to our success.”

The separation of MickaCoo to its new fiscal sponsor is effective November 16, 2011. Those wanting to follow MickaCoo as the organization evolves are encouraged to watch www.MickaCoo.org and www.RescueReport.org. Tax-deductible donations supporting MickaCoo may be paid online at http://www.communityin.org/mickaCoo.html or sent to Community Initiatives, 354 Pine Street, # 700, San Francisco, CA 94104 (checks should be payable to “Community Initiatives - MickaCoo”).

About Mickaboo

Mickaboo is a nonprofit organization located in the San Francisco Bay Area, dedicated to rescuing companion birds (parrot-type and other commonly domesticated birds) that have been neglected, abused, injured or surrendered. It exists to ensure that these birds will have a safe, loving environment for life. Mickaboo strives to educate bird owners on the most current standard of care, so that the medical, emotional, and dietary needs of their birds will be met.

About MickaCoo

MickaCoo saves homeless domestic pigeons and doves in the San Francisco Bay Area from euthanasia by providing veterinary care, foster and forever homes. To date, more than 500 King pigeons, homing pigeons, ring neck doves, and a variety of domestic and “fancy” pigeons and doves owe their lives and wonderful homes to MickaCoo’s efforts.

Gypsy

2011-11-22T15:00:00.000-08:00

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR UPDATES.

On 11/13, SFACC staff contacted me about a stray baby pigeon found at the intersection of Vienna & Russia that they were housing in the incubator and that needed hand-feeding. I went in to pick her up 11/14 and was surprised to find a baby homer rather than a baby king. She flickered her wings and squeaked up a storm in greeting. How she ended up alone out in the world at such a tender age is a mystery. It's kind of a miracle that she survived long enough to get to the shelter.

ACA Sandy had been caring for her and wished her a warm goodbye as we packed up.

I've named the little homer Gypsy and I call her a screamer rather than a squeaker (the usual term for a baby pigeon) because she gets so excited and shrill and enthusiastic and loud about food. She's been self-feeding but enjoys company and encouragement as you can see in this video.

From Baby Homing Pigeon Gypsy

I took her outside to see the "big" pigeons and not-too-much-older youngsters Pancho and Skylar were very interested in her.

Gypsy has been making steady progress and has gained more than 40 grams in a week (she was very thin). She was also very pale (probably anemic) but her beak is slowly, surely pinking up, She is still a dirty mess and looks a bit of a fright but she's bathing and will look great soon. Saturday's rain put everybody in the mood to bathe.

Gypsy is not quite ready yet for aviary life but she is doing great and when she's not exploring the house and hanging out with the indoor pij, she's talking to her friend in the mirror.

Gypsy is one of more than 100 homeless pigeons and doves in need of adoption. MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue needs your support to save all these birds from euthanasia. Please donate so that we may continue this effort. Thank you.

1/21/12 UPDATE:

Gypsy has healed a lot since she arrived at my house on 11/14.

She loves taking baths and it's a good thing. She's a lot cleaner now than when she was found.

Being at my house, Gypsy has to hang out with a lot of birds but she prefers people.

I was surprised when I introduced her to fellow baby-pigeon-in-need Pearl because, instead of having a big baby pigeon love fest like expected, Gypsy was mean to Pearl and so didn't get to bunk with her.

Gypsy gets around.

And while she wore her pants like a champ the first time I put them on, she has since taken to going on strike (in a crouch and backward, scuttle-y motion) when they are put on.

She's a very charming little bird.

And she's very helpful while I'm working.

She and Tookie and Lily are still negotiating border agreements.

She looks at you with a lot of feeling.

Here she is saying Hello to her old friends at SFACC on 1/20/12.

Gypsy is 3 months old. She is one of hundreds of domestic (unreleasable) pigeons and doves that would be killed in Bay Area shelters if not for MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue.

If you can, please open your heart and home and ADOPT.

If you can't adopt, FOSTER.

If you can't foster, DONATE.

Thank you!

Silvy

2011-11-22T13:00:00.000-08:00

This young adult king pigeon hen was found as a stray on Silver Street in SF. She had an untraceable band with the number 54 on. She waited at the SFACC for almost a month and no person came to claim her nor to adopt her. If not taken in by MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue, this lovely, healthy, innocent bird would have been euthanized.

I didn't know that she was a hen when I brought her home to foster but she and the other pigeons told me that she was as soon as she stepped in to the aviary. We got lucky because we've got a whole lot of bachelor pigeons. I named her Silvy.

While grown man pigeon Milkshake Mike courted her and married pigeons Frances & Walter flirted with her, young Cloud won her and they are now a couple.

Silvy and Cloud need a wonderful forever home and are available for adoption. Please complete our online application to start the process.

Updates from MickaCoo 11/9/11

2011-11-09T13:28:00.000-08:00

MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue is even busier than usual right now with lots going on. Here are updates on a just a few of the happenings.

Transitioning to Sustainability (continued from "Fledging from the Nest")

The feedback about my pursuing funding to be a paid director for MickaCoo has been overwhelmingly positive but the organizational growing pains will be significant. Splitting from Mickaboo (which 'Coo must do if I am to earn a salary) will be very challenging because it has been such a huge source of support and efficiency. The new MickaCoo will need a new website, host, IT help, database and donor management system, etc. (ASSISTANCE NEEDED!) Being part of an existing bird rescue has also been a huge source of community and a continuous education for me and MickaCoo. Rescue work is hard and the emotional costs are high and being a part of Mickaboo has been a comfort. Applying for and puzzling through the intricacies of a new fiscal sponsor is time-consuming and must be done on top of the ever-present rescue work. MickaCoo is full with more than 110 pigeons and doves in our foster care and I am contacted daily with requests for help. Adoptions are slow and much needed...

MickaCoo or Who?

The quest for the perfect name for MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue continues. There are pros and cons to keeping the name the same even while officially splitting from Mickaboo. Interestingly, 52.9 of the survey respondents recommend keeping MickaCoo in the name while 47.1 recommend changing it.

Of the 16 name choices offered in the survey, the losers were:

#14 Mercy Pigeon & Dove Adoption

#15 Paloma's Pigeon & Dove Adoptions

#16 Pigeon & Dove Adoptions & Saviaries

and the winners were:

#4 Bay Area Pigeon & Dove Adoption Agency

#3 Coo Pigeon & Dove Rescue

#2 Dove & Pigeon Rescue & Rehoming

#1 MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue

We've since logged a long list of additional possibilities for a new name but nothing yet has felt like "it". From my perspective, I'd love the name to be special or memorable and to reflect fairness (which has been in such short supply for pigeons). I'd also love to incorporate the words "adoption" and "aviary" to emphasize what needs to happen rather than focus on rescue which, without adopters and aviaries, is an illusion. Other considerations are the value of having the words "pigeons" and "doves" in the name (for searchability among other things) and I'd love to impose a protective barrier of sorts by including a limiting geographic range (SF/Bay Area) as well as the qualifier "domestic" (since we're not rehab & release experts). Try as we might, we cannot save every pij and dove that needs our help. But, added up, that all turns into the unwieldy "SF/Bay Area Domestic Pigeon & Dove Adoptions and Aviaries" (or close to the #4 name choice).

It has been suggested that we run a naming contest which I would love to do but need a volunteer to run it. ASSISTANCE NEEDED!

The list to date (in no particular order) includes:

Wonder Dove & Pigeon Rescue

Coomanity

ADOPT (Adopt Doves or Pigeons Today)

MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue
MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Adoption Agency
Bay Area Pigeon & Dove Rescue
Pigeon & Dove ReHoming
Coo Pigeon & Dove Rescue
Humble Kings Pigeon & Dove Rescue
Gentle Kings Pigeon & Dove Rescue
Gentle Strength Pigeon & Dove Adoptions
Soldiers of Love: Pigeon & Dove Rescue
Domestic Pigeon & Dove Adoption Agency
Compassion for All Pigeon & Dove Rescue
Compassionate Wings Pigeon & Dove Rescue
Paloma's Pigeon & Dove Adoptions
Adopt Pigeons & Doves
Shelter Pigeon & Dove Adoption Agency
Friends of Pigeons & Doves Adoption Agency
Pigeon & Dove Adoptions & Aviaries
Pigeon & Dove Adoptions & Saviaries
Mercy Pigeon & Dove Adoption
Heroes Have Wings: Pigeon and Dove Rescue
Little Pink Feet: Pigeon & Dove Rescue
Pink Feet Foundation
Do The Right Thing Pigeon & Dove Rescue
SF Kings Pigeon & Dove Rescue
Peace Bird Rescue
AdoptKings: Pigeon & Dove Rescue
Adopt Kings Pigeon & Doves ResCoo
Be Fair Pigeon & Dove Rescue
Underdog Bird Rescue
Pigeon & Dove ReHoming Network (PDRN)
pHarmony
Pigeon AmNESTy
Justice for Pij
Pigeon Compassion
Home at Last
Motley Coo
Coo Squad
Squab Squad
Coo for Pigeons and Doves
Squab Stoppers
Coos for You
Coos to You
Don’t Ever Eat Pigeons Rescue (DEEPR)
ModSquab
We Can Be Heroes Pigeon & Dove Rescue
Columbidae Rescue
MobSquab
Habitats for Coomanity
SaveACoo
No ExCooses Pigeon & Dove Rescue

Great Party, Don't Miss It!

Mickaboo is hosting its annual Holiday Party Saturday December 3rd at The Eagles Hall (!) in Livermore and MickaCoo is going to be there too! It is going to be lots of fun and everybody in attendance will be a bird lover. And it is going to be a costume party (optional) and there will be amazing treasures available for sale in the Silent Auction including (see below for just a few). RSVP right now! Email me at AdoptKings at gmail dot com for carpool connections.

Art Eggs by J Brooke Patterson

Framed Photographs by Ingrid Taylar

Jewelry by Alice Finney

Filoli Family Membership

Carriage Ride by Kimberly Fishman

Mermaids Tattoo Session

explOratorium Family Membership (and Behind the Scenes Tour)

Overnight Stay, Tour & Tastings at Jordan Winery and Terra Savia

and lots more!

In Bird News...

Formerly bullied but now safe fantail Felix is regrowing feathers in places that have been bare for a long time

Recovering from a spinal-injury Persian High Flier Ava and her roommate blind feral pigeon Jenny have been adopted

Grown man (and recently single) pigeon Peppermint has won young hen Skylar away from her childhood sweetheart Pancho

And Lily, my pet dove and special assistant surprised me by laying an egg on Saturday. She had recently been cooing for a mate in ways that made me think she was a he but that is often the case when a pigeon or dove hen is single. If no one is courting them, they go all Sadie Hawkins and can fool you.

Please Support Our Supporters

Mickaboo appreciates your daily votes in the Pepsi Refresh Challenge this month

Iron Wolf Farm Sanctuary is seeking a Pepsi grant to help their rescued pigeons & needs votes

Peaceful Paws Springs Rescue needs your one-time vote now in Chase Community Giving

Muttsville Senior Dog Rescue & Rocket Dog Rescue are both competing to be in SF's Top 49 Charities

MickaCoo Will Be at SF Pet Pride Day Sunday 10/30!

2011-10-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

Yay! Click here to see the photo album!

Please come out and say Hello (this Sunday from 11-3) and enjoy all the fun including pij in pants and lots of dogs in Halloween costumes, among other wonders! Friends of SFACC (the shelter where I first met and started rescuing king pigeons), puts on an amazing event celebrating all the many pets and rescues in the City at Sharon Meadow in Golden Gate Park.

The world famous SUPER Dovee will be there!

You can see pictures from the 2009 event here.

Skylar & Pancho: A Love Story

2011-10-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

Skylar, a baby king pigeon barely 4 weeks old at the time, was released with a bunch of others on 9/11 at Crissy Field in SF. It's not likely that the person who set these white birds free meant to murder them but that is what the result was for most. On 9/12, Stacy, a Good Samaritan and MickaCoo supporter who works in the area, found baby Skylar pacing frantically in the road next to the squashed body of another baby king pigeon that had been run over. Stacy rescued baby Skylar and sadly noted several piles of white feathers in the park, the evidence of hawks eating the helpless king pigeons.

And the city animal shelter, SFACC, had five baby kings that others had rescued. Four of them were housed in two cages as pairs but this baby whom I named Pancho, was the youngest, the most beat up and all alone.

MickaCoo was full with no room for all these rescued king pigeons but I was on my way to meet Stacy and check over Skylar and decided to bring Pancho with me. I couldn't bear to leave him there alone and, if Stacy couldn't care for him, I planned to bring him home to my already over-full foster case load.

But Stacy said yes and Pancho & Skylar instantly hit it off (as baby pigeons almost always do). They were both thrilled to have a friend and Skylar reassured and welcomed Pancho who was frantic at the sight of a friendly face.

Stacy fostered Skylar and Pancho until they were grown up enough and strong enough to join the grown up birds in an outside aviary. The two were childhood sweethearts and very bonded.

I was surprised when, after only a couple of days in the aviary, Skylar was seduced away from her BFF Pancho by grown-man pigeon Peppermint. (He had recently become single because his mate Sparkle has reproductive health issues and needed to be moved to a lady-pigeons only aviary.)

Pancho, just a boy compared to Peppermint, couldn't compete but I was still surprised that Skylar left him. I can't fault her though. She certainly welcomed and nurtured him and loved him when he needed it most. And Pancho's doing fine. He's a young bachelor and is holding his head up high. He let Skylar go with grace.

We're all rooting for Pancho and looking forward to the day he meets his mate.

Milkshake Mike

2011-10-25T14:04:00.000-07:00

Story coming soon.

Sustainability & MickaCoo's Next Steps: Fledging from the Nest

2011-10-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

As some of you may already know, MickaCoo and I have reached a crossroads. Even with the incredibly generous support and help of so many dedicated volunteers, I've been serving as a full-time (~55 hours/week), unpaid pigeon & dove rescuer for the past 3.5 years, living off of savings and then a small inheritance. I never meant to become a full-time pigeon & dove rescuer but, since it started, I've never been quite able to figure out an exit strategy that the birds and I could survive. There are so many pigeons and doves that need help and it takes so much time and work to find them homes... I've felt both blessed and trapped by this effort.

When I first started fostering king pigeons and helping them find homes, having 8 was scary and meant I was full up. Now we routinely manage a case load of more than 100 pigeons and doves cared for amongst about 12 homes & aviaries. We even managed to scale up and save 216 surrendered Persian High Flyers this year, despite the fact that I had considered us past full even before the call came.

Since I started doing this in September 2007, we have saved the lives of more than 550 pigeons and doves that otherwise would have been euthanized. We have placed them in amazing, safe and high-quality non-breeding, non-sporting homes. And, despite that, the need continues. I get calls and emails almost daily requesting help. There is definitely a demand for what we are doing. We always have a waiting list of birds needing to come into our care.

I'm fast approaching the end of my savings and must return to the world of paid work. After a lot of soul searching and wondering and worrying and planning and dreaming, I've decided to pursue a paid position as MickaCoo's director for at least the next year (and will be fund-raising to pay for it). Ideally, at the end of 2012, the organization will be developed enough to either be sustainable as all-volunteer or supported enough to continue with a paid director (whether me or another).

To do this, I need to split MickaCoo from Mickaboo (the Bay Area's biggest and best parrot rescue and our incredibly supportive partner), at least as far as our nonprofit status goes. Mickaboo is all volunteer and not set up to be an employer and so I need a nonprofit sponsor that is (and have applied to Community Initiatives to become one of their projects). We will know on 11/16 whether or not we are accepted and, if so, would officially begin the split 12/1. I do hope to continue to work VERY closely with Mickaboo as I believe there are a lot of efficiencies and advantages to be gained from our continuing to work together on behalf of the Bay Area's birds. I hope that my pride in, respect for, love of and gratitude to Mickaboo has always been evident. Just in case, let me say how deeply honored I am to be a part of this INCREDIBLE organization and how grateful I am for all that Mickaboo has done for MickaCoo and I and all the many birds it has helped.

Right now, one of the biggest questions that we are facing is the name. Mickaboo leaders have very generously given permission for MickaCoo to continue on with the MickaCoo name and that is a great gift. Mickaboo is the best name in Northern California bird rescue and has opened many doors for us. I have been honored to have it. But there are some considerations that make changing the name something to explore. I've created a survey about name possibilities and would really, really appreciate it if you would complete it. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2G9RQFM

And there are plenty of other questions yet to be answered:

Will people still volunteer for MickaCoo if I'm getting paid? If not, we won't be able to continue. This job is far bigger than I can do alone. In fact, we actually need more volunteer help than we already have!

Will people continue to donate and help us fundraise? This economy is brutal and there are so many very worthy causes in need of support!

Will people continue to support me in a paid role? There has been something very pure and lovely about me being able to do all this work without being paid. If I had more savings and inheritance to spend, I would but I don't and so this model is no longer sustainable. I need to earn a living. I had hoped that, by now, I could have built up the infrastructure and volunteer base enough that I could cut back from 55 hours a week to 10ish and return to my prior career but we're not there yet. So I'm giving myself a year to make this work. Will it?

I want this transition to be as transparent and smooth as possible for all involved. If you have any questions, ideas, concerns or just random thoughts, I'd welcome them. Please don't hesitate to add your comments to this post and/or to email me at AdoptKings at gmail dot com.

And please do think on what the perfect name would be! (MISSION- MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue (MPDR) saves homeless domestic pigeons and doves in the SF/Bay Area from euthanasia by providing veterinary care, foster and forever homes.)

And I'm looking forward to seeing many of you at the Holiday Party on 12/3 (RSVP here now)!

Thank you.

Update on Ava, Recovering from a Spinal Injury

2011-10-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

Ava came into MickaCoo's care on 8/9 unable to stand or walk. She was facing shelter euthanasia if not rescued.

I have been fostering her and she is a very gentle, enigmatic and patient bird. For weeks she sat, unable to stand, watching the world (including many birds) out the window. She was a good eater (though her wasted breast muscles make her feel very thin) and she spent a lot of time with "the bird in the mirror" as volunteer Sherri would say. And though she didn't like it, she tolerated my daily sessions of gently moving her legs and every other day of floating her in a sink full of barely warm water for therapy (and in an effort to stave off sores and frozen joints).

As restricted as her life was, she always held herself like a lady of royalty, never giving any sign of how worried or unhappy she must have been.

I do think she enjoyed her visits from dove/nurse Lily who would join Ava in her small box and steal seed treats. While Lily's visits could easily be considered rude by the rules of pigeon society, his sweet innocence and gentle ways seemed to win Ava's acceptance.

Lily, being a dove is smaller than Ava, weighing 152 grams to her 310. And he's young and very charming. Lily doesn't (yet?) have the bluster and bombast that a lot of doves sometimes do. In any case, I really think that Ava enjoyed when impish Lily came to visit. She never said otherwise. In fact, Ava's total lack of defensive behavior pretty much says she loved Lily's visits, cheeky as they were.

Ava's initial progress was very slow but, as you can see in these pictures taken 10/1, she has begun to recover. At first it was just to stand. And then she was able to take a couple of steps.

Her left leg is much stronger than her right, still.

But Ava has made enough progress that she now hangs out with other special needs birds (she couldn't before- she'd have been harmed). Below, from bottom left to bottom right are Ava, Biscuit, Jenny, Lucky (both by the door) and Lily (in the dish bottom right).

And she's been promoted from a single hospital room to a sharing a convalescent room with previously rejected but now accepted roommate, blind Jenny.

And Ava & Jenny have been doing well as roommates. They've worked out the basics and have established some trust.

Now they're taking it up a notch. Jenny courted Ava a bit yesterday.

And, while Ava heard him out for a minute, she eventually shut him down.

But that makes sense because Ava's not ready for romance yet.

Though she did do some amazing bonding with adopter-to-be Annye the first time they met. I was really moved by how much Ava enjoyed Annye's attention. Ava has not been a love bug with me.

Annye & Jane are the folks who rescued Jenny in the first place and, now, after a lot of time and thought and effort and preparation, they're going to adopt him and his friend Ava. And I think they are all going to a very happy family. (Quirky side note- Lucky, the other blind pigeon we have in foster care also hooked up with a sighted Persian High Flyer, just like Jenny is.)

Party With Us Saturday 12/3 in Livermore!

2011-10-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

Please mark your calendar right now and click on this link to RSVP to celebrate with MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue at the 2011 Mickaboo Holiday Party in Livermore on Saturday, December 3rd! (Please indicate that you are with MickaCoo in the Special Notes section and if you're looking to carpool!)

This is a really fun event, hosted by our parrot-rescue partner Mickaboo (which generously allows MickaCoo to join in), and a great opportunity to get together, have some fun and hang out with a whole bunch of bird rescuers while also supporting the birds!

There will be lots of cool treasures from artists and businesses available in the Silent Auction (and you too can contribute and support MickaCoo in this way - please email me at AdoptKings@gmail.com!).

Mickaboo Companion BirdRescue is the biggest and best bird rescue in Northern California. They have saved the lives of thousands of parrots, from budgies and cockatiels to cockatoos and macaws and everybody in between since 1996.

MICKABOO COMPANION BIRD RESCUE Annual Holiday Costume Party & Fundraiser

Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue's Annual Holiday Costume Party and Fundraiser will be held on Saturday, December 3rd from 5-9 pm at Eagles Hall, 527 North Livermore Avenue in Livermore, CA. Admission is $15 per person; $27 per couple. Children age 10 and under are free.

Come meet the faces behind the rescue and learn more about companion birds. There will be a raffle as well as a silent auction, which features a weekend getaway to the Mendocino coast at La Puerta Del Mar. Bring a non-poultry potluck dish and receive free raffle tickets. Prizes will be awarded for best costume.

All proceeds to benefit Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue (and MickaCoo silent auction purchases benefit MickaCoo).

Mickaboo is a nonprofit organization located in the San Francisco Bay Area, dedicated to rescuing companion birds (parrot-type and other commonly domesticated birds) that have been neglected, abused, injured or surrendered. It exists to ensure that these birds will have a safe, loving environment for life. Mickaboo strives to educate bird owners on the most current care information, so that the medical, emotional, and dietary needs of their birds will be met.

Felix & Harper

2011-10-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

Please scroll down for updates

Sometime in September, a gentleman lost his home and surrendered his flock of 12 pigeons and a golden pheasant to Marin Humane Society. They are extremely lucky birds to wind up at this shelter where, rather than live indoors and isolated each in their own too small cage (as most shelter pigeons are housed), they get to live together as a flock in a large barn stall with an attached, mesh-covered outside area where they can lounge and sun/rain bathe and be birds.

On 10/7, MickaCoo volunteer Shae went to MHS assess the pigeons and their condition. While initially advertised as king pigeons, they are actually homers and fantails and most are doing well but there were a couple of special needs birds that Shae identified and then pulled to come into MickaCoo foster care. (Since we are past full, we can't take them all and so pull the injured or ill and leave the healthy ones for the shelter to adopt out.)

Though I'm too full up with foster pigeons already and am supposed to be reducing rather than increasing my numbers, these four birds needed to come out of the fast lane of flock life in the shelter and into the slow lane of foster care. All of our other fosters are all full up as well and, with 4 birds of unknown condition, it was just easiest to take them into my direct care than to try and help long-distance manage their care through a new foster volunteer.

Felix is a fantail that had been bullied so long that he had significant feather loss (a sign of having likely been living in overcrowded conditions) and labored breathing and, though they didn't act like mates at the time, he was being kept company on the flock edges by Harper- a homer with a huge, untreated ruptured feather-cyst.

They've been doing great here. Felix has new feathers coming in and his breathing is improved. Harper will be going to the vet this week to have her cyst removed. They've been relaxing and settling in.

And now they are courting. Previously, I don't think they felt well enough nor safe enough to think about romance but now they do.

If you'd like to support MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue's efforts, please click on this link and follow the directions to donate. Every gift, whether large or small, makes a big difference for these so often overlooked birds.

UPDATE: 10/24/11

On 10/19, I took Harper to have her ruptured feather cyst removed. Her mate Felix came along for moral support.

The staff at Wildwood Vet Hospital in Portola, including Avian Vet Tech Sherry and Dr. Chris Sanders took gentle, patient care of both Harper and I.

It's as if Harper was making a diamond out of the ingrown flight feathers and ruptured cyst that she had been coping with for a long time (I'd guess over a year). I can't imagine how uncomfortable it must have been for her to put up with. The thing was big (about the size of a small lady's thumb) and It was hard as a rock. The cross-hatches in the image below are from a saw that was used to try and fracture it. No bird likes having crap on their feathers and I'm sure in addition to the pain and pressure Harper felt (imagine the world's worst ingrown toenail), she was also very annoyed to have this impossible-to-remove imperfection getting in the way of her preening.

Harper tolerated the procedure very well. They were of course both very happy to get home and resume courting.

On the 21st, per doctor's orders, I removed the stent that had been left in the wound (in order to help it heal in such a way as to not impede the flight feathers to come). While still swollen, the area was healing well.

Yesterday, Harper laid the first of a pair of eggs and they are very proud and happy. Neither felt well or secure enough to be mating and planning to raise a family two weeks ago.

This picture is from today and shows how quickly and well the wound is healing. Pigeons are very hardy and resilient and have amazing abilities to heal and thrive.

If you can contribute towards Harper's care, please click on this DONATE link and follow the directions to donate. Whatever you're able to give will help.

Felix and Harper are a very sweet little couple and next they need a wonderful, forever home. If you'd like to foster or adopt, please complete this online adoption application.

And join us on Facebook to get all the latest updates on the pigeons and doves of MickaCoo.

Thank you!

Dolly & Ace

2011-10-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ace, as Shae named him, was the first on the list. His overgrown beak was preventing him from being able to eat.

This incredibly tame and charming little fantail (named Dolly by my friend Gwen who was with me when we picked them up from transport volunteer and Wildcare staffer Kelle that night) flirted and teased Shae to be picked. She had been isolated from the other birds and, after some Pigeon Tetris calculations, was chosen to come into MickaCoo care as well.

Along with bullied and plucked Felix and ruptured feather-cyst Harper, they happily settled into the slow lane of foster care at my house.

Ace's beak was trimmed by the kind folks at WildCare and he was very happy to be able to once again eat! And then, he and Dolly started courting.

Dolly & Ace are now being fostered in the big and beautiful Wulf aviary in Berkeley and are available for adoption as a couple. Ace is no where near as comfy around people as Dolly is and so will need some space and understanding on that front as well as occasional beak trims (probably 3-4 times per year). If you're interested in adopting, please complete MickaCoo's online adoption application.

Terra Savia Winery's Gorgeous & Life-saving Aviary

2011-10-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue has realized a dream of partnering to create gorgeous, life-saving aviaries for rescued pigeons and doves beginning with Terra Savia Winery in Hopland, California.

Terra Savia Winery, located at 14160 Mountain House Road in Hopland, California, has a mission statement that includes a "special commitment towards land conservation and wildlife preservation." It produces medal-winning organic wines, olive oils and honeys on an extensive property north of the San Francisco Bay area.

MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue, inundated with domestic, unreleasable doves and pigeons that are rescued from shelters or found as strays, has been working toward encouraging wineries to create aviaries for these beautiful, loveable, easy-to-care for birds.

Elizabeth Young, the head of MickaCoo, says, "King pigeons are big, snow white, charming birds that can't survive in the wild but are lovely and easy to care for in an aviary. If not rescued, shelters euthanize them for lack of awareness and adopters, but they are smart, gentle and deserve better."

Yvonne Hall, of Terra Savia Winery, says, "Part of Terra Savia’s mission/vision is protecting/preserving wildlife habitat. We strongly believe that all animals should be protected. It’s unfortunate for the kings that they have to live in an aviary, however it is a better alternative than being euthanized. We also have the space and desire to create a model home that reflects our aesthetics in creating a structure out of recycled and reclaimed redwood from Mendocino County. Each piece was hand selected to mirror our WildThings seasonal tasting room. Just outside of the aviary, we built a redwood bench where visitors can just sit and admire the kings in their new habitat. Sitting there quietly, you can simply enjoy them or begin to understand their communication patterns or, better yet, spend a few moments in quiet contemplation. We absolutely love our new aviary and the newest members of the Terra Savia family. They are a welcome addition to our diverse family of animals and people."

For more information about how you can help a parrot or a pigeon in need of a home, contact Elizabeth Young at AdoptKings@gmail.com or 415.420.7204, and visit our website at www.MickaCoo.org

The photos below were shot and generously donated by photographer Megan Wolfe.

We Did It!

2011-10-01T09:08:00.000-07:00

Please scroll down for an update

We Did It!

Oh my goodness, I don't even know where to begin! Yes! We accomplished our goal and landed in the top 15 in our category to qualify to win $10K from Pepsi. Our project is now undergoing a verification process by Pepsi and provided we pass (and we expect to, notification due 10/23ish), we will be granted $5K sometime in November and, if all project requirements are satisfied, the other $5K in March 2012. After competing in the Pepsi Challenge in January, June and then again in September, we had invested so much time and energy, we really had to win! (Adoptions are down in pretty direct correlation with the time I spent on the Pepsi effort instead of developing adopters. Stay tuned for that story.)

And we did win- thanks to you! And so MickaCoo is $10K more sustainable than it was. I truly thank you all for your help. It took A LOT of help!

Thank you all SO MUCH for your daily voting and texting and tweeting and cross-posting and soda-cap collecting and power-code entering and helping MickaCoo to be a finalist for a $10K Pepsi grant!

There was an entire army of Mickaboo and MickaCoo supporters voting and clicking and Pepsi-cap capturing every day in September! Thank you!

There were also incredibly generous recyclers like Thomas of J & S Recycling and Moses and Ben who helped us with hundreds of caps! (I think Moses said it best when he said, "It feels good to help.") Without your incredibly altruistic support we would never have won. Thank you!

And there was a lot of hard-core, above-and-beyond supporters who I'm not even going to try and list (because I would surely miss somebody) but you know who you are and I truly thank you for helping me and MickaCoo SO MUCH through what was a ridonculously and inordinately challenging effort!

And there was a whole squad of volunteers- all over the country!- that were collecting power codes every way they could to support MickaCoo. Thank you!

And we still wouldn't have been able to win if it wasn't for the incredible support of a BIG team of animal rescue Pepsi partners who were extremely generous and worked tirelessly to help us win. Thank you!

Our partners included-

Peaceful Paws Springs Animal Rescue - $50K finalist!

Life is Labs - $50K finalist!

Homeless Animal Fund - $50K finalist!

Huts for Mutts/Spay Neuter and Protect - $25K finalist!

Las Lomas K9 Rescue & Adoption Foundation- $10K finalist!

Burge Bird Rescue - July Winner

This picture shows Little Lu of Peaceful Paws Springs Animal Rescue on just some of the Pepsi cap power codes they entered not only for themselves but in support of MickaCoo and other animal rescues as well.

We did it!

UPDATE 10/24/11- It's official! We won!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!

Max

2011-09-25T20:00:00.000-07:00

This handsome little Indian Fantail was found as a stray in Fremont (having gotten lost despite his clipped wings- happens a lot!). Julia, a staffer at Fremont's Tri-City Animal Shelter, contacted us for rescue after he went unclaimed and unadopted for several weeks and was timed out. She was kind enough to bring him to the Dublin SPCA on 9/25 where MickaCoo was attending an adoption fair.

He's beautiful and a very nice little bird (only looks big because of all those feathers). I've named him Max. He spent his first couple of weeks fostering in my too-full aviary and was transferred, along with 7 other of my fosters on 10/12, to the Wulf foster aviary in Berkeley.

Max is currently single but is looking for a nice lady pigeon. He's available for adoption through MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue. Please complete this online adoption application if you're interested in adopting Max or any of MickaCoo's many other rescued pigeons and doves.

Rio

2011-09-25T19:59:00.000-07:00

On 9/17, I received this email-

I found a white king pigeon walking on the side of the road in Joaquin

Miller Park in Oakland last night (9/16/11) he was very close to the

busy road. He is very tame and allowed me to pick he up. He appeared

to have a green band on his leg but upon further inspection it turned

out to be a green twist tie. I currently have him in my apartment in

a spare bird cage. He appeared to be well cared for, his nails are

trimmed and possible his wings but he does appear to be thin.

Unfortunately I can not keep him long term. I have two cockatiels and

a very small apartment and it would be unfair to him. Any guidance

would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time

Me and MickaCoo were full up but I put this lost homer, named Rio by his rescuers, on our waiting list and on 9/25, Shannon & Jennifer brought him to me at the Dublin SPCA Adoption event.

Rio had recovered his strength (from being nearly starved) while in their care and was no longer tame. (It always scares the hell out of me when people tell me they've found "a really tame bird" which, in rescue, usually means a really weak bird.)

He was very happy to find himself once again in the company of other pigeons and had recovered well enough to fly in the aviary without a problem.

He was greeted by Blanco and polite in his aloofness.

Rio (and Blanco and many other pigeons that MickaCoo has rescued) is a small white homing pigeon, likely bred and used as a "wedding release dove" that got lost and nearly starved to death. When ceremonial releases of white "doves" are done properly, they use well cared for and trained white homing pigeons that have the skill and the ability to make it home safely (for the most part). Even when done under the best of circumstances, some birds will be killed by hawks or otherwise lost on the way home. When done improperly, it is a massacre! People who try to do it cheaply sometimes buy white doves or king pigeons (neither of which have any homing instinct nor any ability to survive in the wild) and toss them into the sky expecting to see them fly away somewhere. Where? Where are they going even if they could get there? Back to the feed store or poultry market or pet store that sold them in the first place? These birds land in the parking lot or park (or where ever they were "released") and stand around getting killed by cars, hawks, cats, ravens, gulls, mean people, etc. etc. until some kind soul gathers the survivors up and contacts a shelter or MickaCoo.

Personally, I don't support even the properly-done release of white homers. I know some very wonderful people who do it and I know they take great care of their birds but I don't believe in buying and selling and renting and using animals. As much as I love animals, I'd prefer to live without them if it meant they could escape our ownership of them.

Rio is, I believe, another bachelor (we have a lot) and as of 10/12 was transferred with 7 other fosters from my over-full aviary to the Wulf aviary in Berkeley. He looks happy there and is available for adoption as an aviary bird (not to be used for breeding, business or sport) from MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue.

MickaCoo URGENTLY Needs Pepsi Power Vote Codes (found in yellow Pepsi caps)

2011-09-23T11:40:00.001-07:00

MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue has, thanks to a ton of support from people literally all over the world, a real chance to win a much-needed $10K Pepsi Refresh grant at the end of this month but it is going to be very, very close and YOUR votes can and will make a difference.

We have been hanging on tight at 14th-15th place (only the top 15 will win) but the competition for our winning spot is only going to get worse now that we are entering the final week of the contest (next Friday is the last day). We need you to help us hold on.

Daily votes at http://www.refresheverything.com/mickacoo are needed as are daily text messages of 108445 to 73774 and most helpful are the Pepsi "power codes" found inside yellow Pepsi caps.

Each Pepsi power code is worth from 5 to 100 votes and our competition is entering them by the boatloads.

We're collecting them from every source we can find including bidding for them on Listia and eBay as well as from recyclers like Ben & Moses who are helping us.

We've got fantastic partnerships with other rescues who are also competing this month and they are entering lots of votes for us. You can support them too by voting for them while you're voting for MickaCoo. All of our partners are winning but Peaceful Paws is in the same precarious position that we are and they REALLY need our support. They have been working incredibly hard and are helping us a lot.

http://www.refresheverything.com/peacefulpawsanimalrescue

http://www.refresheverything.com/huts

http://www.refresheverything.com/laslomask9rescue

http://www.refresheverything.com/dogs

Please help MickaCoo to win this grant. If you've got a source of Pepsi caps and need help getting them entered as power votes, contact me at AdoptKings at gmail dot com and I'll gladly assist. And join our MickaCoo group on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/160198601451/ to share in the excitement and, hopefully, success.

Do it for these guys...

Thank you.

PLEASE Help MickaCoo Win a Much-Needed $10K Grant!

2011-09-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

MickaCoo Pigeon & Dove Rescue is trying again for a Pepsi Refresh grant and we CAN win this time. Please, please vote for us everyday this month at: http://www.refresheverything.com/mickacoo and you double your vote by also texting "108445" to 73774 daily.

We competed in January (in partnership with Mickaboo) for $50K and finished #55ish (we needed to be in the top 10 to win). Then we competed in June for $25K and finished #31 (only the top 15 won). This month we are competing in the $10K category and we have a lot of support from great voting partners and we can actually win this much needed grant- with your support! (Mickaboo won $5K in July!)

Please sign up for a helpful daily voting reminder that includes the clickable links by emailing: pepsichallenge-subscribe@mickaboo.org

And, if you're a Pepsi drinker, please look for the "Power Vote Codes" on specially marked products and use them to power vote (or send to me at AdoptKings at Gmail dot com). They are VERY helpful to the effort.

Thank you for all the votes you've already entered. Your help is truly, truly appreciated!

And, while you're Pepsi voting for MickaCoo, please vote for our reciprocal partners (and leave comments saying you're from MickaCoo!) Their support is vital to our success (and ours to theirs).

http://www.refresheverything.com/peacefulpawsanimalrescue

http://www.refresheverything.com/huts

http://www.refresheverything.com/laslomask9rescue

http://www.refresheverything.com/dogs

And please- we are in the winners' zone. Please vote and help us win this grant and sustain what MickaCoo is doing. These birds need our help.

Cloud

2011-08-31T20:00:00.002-07:00

On Sunday 8/28, Maribel, a visitor from LA was on her way to SFO headed home when she saw, for the second day in a row, an all white bird hanging around at 10th & Clement. When she saw it the second time, she knew it must be in trouble but she had a plane to catch and wouldn't be able to help it directly. Maribel used her smartphone to find local area rescue WildCare. She spoke with wildlife rescue hotline operator Winnie who in turn called me (but got voicemail) and SFACC and persuaded an Animal Control Officer to check on the bird (something that cannot always be prioritized since trying to catch a stray bird is often futile).

But this baby king pigeon was extremely lucky and was caught and taken to the safety of the SF shelter. (King pigeons are domestic and have no survival skills. They are usually dead within a day or two of release into the wild from hawks, dogs, cars, cats, mean people, etc.) He was named Fluffy Cloud by a volunteer and after delivering 8 adopted king pigeons to their new aviary at Terra Savia Winery, I stopped at SFACC and picked up Cloud and another sick baby king pigeon named Sugar to take into foster care.

They are doing well and are steadily recovering from their unhealthy factory-farm style rearing and then the stress and perils of being "set free" at the age of 4 weeks old to fend for themselves in a hostile city.

Cloud is having fun with his friends baby kings Maya & Sugar. He (I suspect) is a big sweetheart that someone marked up with blue ink before dumping. Despite all that, he's going to do fine and will somehow find a great forever home and beat the incredible odds that he faced when he was bred and raised to be slaughtered as squab.

His friend Maribel (who saw he needed rescue and went to bat for him despite risking missing her plane) and Winnie, the WildCare hotline operator are monitoring his progress and very happy to see that he's going to be just fine.

Sugar

2011-08-31T20:00:00.001-07:00

Sugar is a petite and high-spirited baby king pigeon that was found as a stray and, because of her respiratory infection, pulled early from SFACC (at the same time I brought home her friend Cloud).

Sugar (on the right) and Cloud were thrilled to be together and have made steady progress since coming into MickaCoo's foster care.

They are having fun exploring with blind baby pij Jenny, her friend baby king Maya and getting along well with grown ups Biscuit & Lucky.

As they've recovered their health and strength, they've begun spending some time outside in the aviary and soon will move out there full time.

Me & MickaCoo can't continue to help all these domestic, unreleasable pigeons without your support. Please donate to this small but meaningful cause. Every little bit helps.