# Can you help a pigeon in Denver? PLEASE!



## WannaBeFree (Dec 11, 2005)

I have a pigeon in captivity that shouldn't be... at least, not here.

My son found it 2 months ago, in the jaws of a cat. He captured the cat, rescued the bird, and brought it home. It's wing and tail feathers had been clipped, it had lice, it was malnourished and weak.

After considerable treatment and care, the bird survived and became a beautiful, healthy black cock. I used to keep racing pigeons in my childhood, and I am pretty sure this is a racing pigeon. However, it is not banded.

We released it when it was well enough to fly, hoping it would go back to it's original home, but it had been too long - and the bird was patterned-up to stay at our house. We do not have a proper coop, so it took to perching on the porch light outside the back door. Each time we went outside it cooed and flew to be near us. It followed the boys to and from the mail box, flew to the ground to walk along side us, and generally tried to strike up a relationship with every passing human being.

A neighbor recently stopped my little boy on his way home from school and told him the bird was perching on their porch lights, and they don't like it doing so. She told him that if he didn't keep it locked up they would feed it to their dogs.

I called animal control to ask for guidance. They said if they get hold of any pigeon they immediately kill them, and it is illegal to keep a wild animal in captivity so I am to release it. I tried to explain that I think this is a domestic species, and clearly had been clipped as one would do if introducing a new bird to an established flock. The animal control officer scoffed at that and said that people just do that, to wild birds, for entertainment. They see it all the time, he said.

So we have this pigeon locked up in a little dog kennel, but that is placing us at risk with the animal control officials, and it certainly is not a proper life for a pigeon. If we turn it loose the neighbor will kill it, and my son will never forgive me.

CAN YOU HELP???


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hello and welcome to Pigeon-Talk! Many thanks to you and your son for saving this pigeon!

There is one person in your area listed in our resources directory. Please give her a call and see if she might be able to assist you.

http://www.pigeons.com/prd.htm

If that doesn't work out, please let us know and we can try to locate some other resources for you.

Terry


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi wannabefree,


Thank you for your care and concern for this Pigeon...

If there is any way you or anyone you know might be headed to Las Vegas, I would be happy to take him and to assimilate him into my feral outdoor flock here.

Our winters are pretty mild...and the ferals overall healthy and resourceful.

I have two peepers in my eve presently, whose parents are flock members...and, for that matter, I have two feral Babys being raised under my dresser right now by their non-flying single-parent poppa...so...lots of Bird action here...!

Lol...

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Hi, hopefully, by the time I'm writing this,you will have found someone to take your pigeon. I just wanted to tell you that as far as I know, there is no law that says you can't keep a pigeon. They are not protected under law like most birds are. He sounds like a terrific bird and would make a great indoor pet for someone. With your neighbor's attitude, I think you are right not to let him out anymore. Have you thought about keeping him? They can do very well in a home environment or in an aviary.

Maggie


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## EvilMonkey666 (Dec 1, 2005)

I would keep him as a pet. He obviously loves being around people and like Lady Tarheel said, he would make a wonderful inside pet. As far as your neighbor goes for wanting to feed him to their dogs, with that kind of attitude they shouldnt even own animals. I hope someone will adopt him if you absolutely cannot keep him. He sounds like a wonder bird full of personality.


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## Popcorn_Nose (Dec 12, 2005)

*Popcorn_nose*

what can i do to be able to feed my pigeons on what we call "pigeon pellets?" coz i think that they lost their appetite when i fed them "mixed seeds.." that's why i was forced to give them cooked rice and i think that they like it.. the thing that bothers me is that, they look thin and im worried coz they have eggs right now and i think they need energy to give heat to the eggs.. im also worried that if the eggs are already hatched, they'll feed the rice to the chicks... is rice a good food for pigeons?? can u help me... thanks!


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## WannaBeFree (Dec 11, 2005)

*Thanks Terry, et. al.*



TAWhatley said:


> Hello and welcome to Pigeon-Talk! Many thanks to you and your son for saving this pigeon!
> 
> There is one person in your area listed in our resources directory. Please give her a call and see if she might be able to assist you....
> 
> Terry


Wow! I got so many responces in so short a time - really more than I could have hoped for, and with such warm welcomes!!

Thanks for the resource - I asked "information" for a phone number as there seemed no other way to contact Kelly Miller from your directory. They listed 2 Kelly's in Littleton. One said, "wrong household". I left a message for the other one... 

Several people recommended keeping the bird, but I have to say I'll probably get a visit from Animal Control to see what I did with it - they can be like the Gestapo. If I don't find a home for it soon I am sure I will be fined for keeping a "wild" animal in captivity.

I'll keep you posted as to whether this Kelly person can be of any help. 

My deepest thanks!


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## WannaBeFree (Dec 11, 2005)

pdpbison said:


> Hi wannabefree,
> 
> 
> Thank you for your care and concern for this Pigeon...
> ...


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## WannaBeFree (Dec 11, 2005)

TAWhatley said:


> Hello and welcome to Pigeon-Talk! Many thanks to you and your son for saving this pigeon!
> 
> There is one person in your area listed in our resources directory. Please give her a call and see if she might be able to assist you.
> 
> ...


The resources dierectory gave me the name "Kelly Miller" in Littleton. No contact info, so I called the information operator, who found two people in Littleton by that name. I called both of them, but neither knew anything about pigeons. Do you have contact info for her????

Linda


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## WhiteWingsCa (Mar 1, 2002)

Popcorn_Nose said:


> what can i do to be able to feed my pigeons on what we call "pigeon pellets?" coz i think that they lost their appetite when i fed them "mixed seeds.." that's why i was forced to give them cooked rice and i think that they like it.. the thing that bothers me is that, they look thin and im worried coz they have eggs right now and i think they need energy to give heat to the eggs.. im also worried that if the eggs are already hatched, they'll feed the rice to the chicks... is rice a good food for pigeons?? can u help me... thanks!



Some people feed uncooked rice to their pigeons - mixed in with several other grains.

Cooked rice by itself is NOT a good food for pigeons. That is why they look thin - they are not getting the necessary nutrients in order to be healthy, happy pigeons. Any young they try to raise will be sickly as well.

Find a proper pigeon seed mix, or proper pigeon pellets, and feed that, and only that, to the birds. They might pick out only the seeds they like at first (pigeons are a lot like kids that way - eat what they like, and leave the rest). Do not over feed - they need to eat "all their veggies!". LOL You can feed them just pellets - it might take a few days for them to really start eating them - but honestly, they are slowing starving to death on rice alone...


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Linda,

Just following up to see if you were able to find someone to take this bird in and also to be sure you received this information from me:

_10. WildCare – Ken Caryl Ranch, Littleton, CO
Kelly Miller, Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator
E-mail: [email protected]
303-932-1440
Rescues/adopts the following animals: hedgehogs, ferrets, sugar gliders, chinchillas, hedgehogs, and exotic
birds of all sizes._

Terry


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## [email protected] (Jan 3, 2006)

Linda, by animal control, im guessing the pound in denver? ive dealt with them; they are awful. but its not illegal to keep a pigeon that i know of; they arent protected. ive found many there dont know what they are talking about any way, and they are very callous. i cant understand why theyd care if you had one. your neighbor sounds evil. so sad that your son had to hear that. stories like that make me nervous, regarding what the future will be for the pigeon weve rescued.

i hope you were able to contact the rehabber in lakewood, or find someone else to take him. hopefully someone will come along who wants a sweet pet, because it sounds like thats what he needs to be, for his own safety and happiness. good luck!!



WannaBeFree said:


> pdpbison said:
> 
> 
> > Hi wannabefree,
> ...


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