# Sick collared dove, help please!



## Valen

Yesterday I found a collared dove that looked sick standing on the pavement and brought it home. I've tried to feed it but it doesn't show interest in eating or drinking. It looks down and just stands there, doing nothing, with closed eyes, like in this photo:







as if it was sleeping all day. It doesn't show any kind of interest on anything. It can move and walk but doesn't seem to want to. Sometimes, and specially after having fed it or giving it water, it opens its beak real wide one or two times and does a weird sound, as if it was coughing. I think its breath smells badly too. The respiration doesn't sound good sometimes. Its excrements are very watery and white. Its chest seem to be swollen, but I don't know if that's normal as I've never owned any kind of bird or pigeon. I've tried to open its beak to see if it has that canker characteristic white blister things but it seems normal.

Any help would be very appreciated. I know birds are very weak and generally die from sickness but it would be nice if there was a way to save this bird.


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## amyable

Hi Valen,

Please hang about. I have someone here at the moment and can't reply for about half an hour but this little bird needs some urgent help.
From what you've said about the smell and coughing I would say it does sound like canker.

I will post asap if no-one else has in the meantime.

Can you tell us whereabouts you are located in case we can put you in touch with someone who can help.

Thanks

Janet


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## Valen

Both my parents are pressuring me to leave the pigeon at a local park  I know it will die if I do so... There is a vet near my home but my parents don't want me to take the bird to him neither because they say it's too unimportant, that it's just a common bird, that is a waste of time. 

What can I do?  Thanks amyable, I appreciate any help


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## Feefo

Thank you for your compassion. 

We really need to know roughly where you are to be able to let you know what help is available. The nearest town will do.

In the meantime the poor little dove needs quiet and warmth. If you have a hot water bottle you could wrap that in a towel so that it isn't too hot and place the bird on it in a warm quiet place. Otherwise, you can put some raw rice in a sock and heat it in a micrwowave for 3 minutes, then wrap that so it is warm, not hot and place the bird on it.

*This* is a link to a list some pigeon friendly rescue centres just in case one of them is near you.

And *here* is advice on what to do when you find a sick or injured bird


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## amyable

Thanks Cynthia, just come back on to see if Valen had given a location.

I am going out now but will check back when I'm home.

Valen I appreciate it's hard if your parents aren't willing to help but tell them we're trying to locate some assistance for you.

Janet


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## Valen

Too late... I argued with my mother, she put it in a box and I assume the pigeon is in some park right now. I had to left to go to collegue. I don't know what happened but the pigeon is probably no longer in my home. 

I had a cat, that made things more difficult and my mother lost her nerves.

Thank you all for the help though.


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## Feefo

I am very sorry about that. 

This thread illustrates how important it is that we know the rough location of a rescue so that we can *at least *suggest somewhere that it can be taken as quickly as possible. I know that now many of us will be tortured by the thought of this poor little bird dying alone and cold when we almost had the opportunity of helping it.

You are not in any way responsible for your mother's actions but you may wish to inform herthat what she did was probably and offence under the *Abandonment of Animals 1960 *: 

_If any person abandons an animal, including all vertebrates, in a manner which is likely to cause that animal unnecessary suffering an offence is committed under this Act. Therefore, if a juvenile animal has been hand-reared and cannot fend for itself in the wild, the liberation of an animal in that state could constitute an offence. *Similarly, if an animal is deliberately liberated while sick or injured, or infirm for any other reason, and is thus incapable of fending for itself, an offence, according to circumstances, would be committed*. According to recent case law, the interpretation of the word 'abandonment' means there is an intention to permanently relinquish responsibility for that animal. *It follows that liberating any animal, in the circumstances previously described, would be with an intention to permanently leave that animal at the mercy of the natural world.*_


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## amyable

Valen said:


> I don't know what happened but the pigeon is probably no longer in my home.


I sincerely hope you're wrong and when you get home you find she hasn't just put it in a field to die.
Excuse me for saying this but I'm sickened to think that anyone could not care enough to at least take it to the vets where at worst they would probably have put it to sleep humanely rather than it be out there at the mercy of any preditors and not be able to escape.

I'm sorry Valen that you weren't able to help, I'm only saddened that we didn't get the opportunity to get it to someone who could do something. If it was canker there are treatments and it could well have recovered in the right hands.

Do let us know if by any chance you still have it.

Thanks for trying anyway,

Janet


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## Valen

The pigeon is gone. What makes me mad is that my parents will surely act like nothing happened or like that was the right thing to do. I can't understand their way of thinking and it makes me really sad.
Thank you all for your help though. It's great to see that some people in the world still care for animals and birds.


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## Larry_Cologne

Sad. Don' know what to say.

Perhaps list the city you are in. You could PM (private message) one of the administrators if you wish to remain anonymous and keep any info about yourself private. There may be a PT member nearby, who could retrieve the bird if your parents described where they left it. 

Perhaps your parents would not object to your passing the task on to someone else.

Larry


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## amyable

Valen,

If you come on again I would like to say that I admire that fact you are obviously a caring young person, it just shows that not all young people are selfish and self centred. 

I do still I wish we could have a go at helping.

I totally agree with what Larry has said.
I hate to think this poor bird had the chance and it was missed. Unfortunately it is just luck if these poor souls need help whether they are spotted by someone who is compassionate and willing to put themselves out for them.

I am a mum to two teenage girls and so do realise you don't want to be going behind your parent's backs, but if you think they'd understand better our intentions of wanting to help this bird if I spoke to your mum, I'd be happy to do so.

I can't guarantee there will be anyone close but it's worth asking.
I live in Sutton Coldfield West Midlands, I don't suppose by any miracle you're near here?  Wouldn't that be great.

Anyway, let me know ( by Private Message if you prefer), if we can do any more.

Good luck

Janet


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