# Can anyone in Los Angeles help a friend? Pigeon Rescuer in Los Angeles?



## LuaMoon (Feb 22, 2012)

Hello everyone! 

First off, my apologies for being off the board for so long!

I really was mourning the loss of my Dove "chicken", but we did adopt a new bird named Sparkles. Also, I was in nursing school and finally finished! Even passed my boards! whoo hoo!

Okay, so why I'm posting...

I live in NJ, but a friend of mine in Los Angeles CA just rescued a pigeon from her cats who were playing a game of soccer with it. She currently has it in a cage with food and water. 

She needs some advice, as she knows nothing about Pigeons. 

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Here is what she posted on Facebook:

_"Just rescued an injured pigeon from the cats.

I don't know jack SH*T about birds that are not chickens. (I know chickens ;->)

WTF do I do? The patient is not bleeding. The patient's legs are OK. I see no wounds. The patient doesn't even seem stunned. He or she just cannot manage liftoff at all, and had turned into a punching bag for three young male cats.

Looks like an injury to a wing. Do those heal sometimes?

Right now he's sitting on an old cat bed in a cat carrier in the garage, looking relieved. I removed him from Jack's jaws.

Sigh ..."_

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Is there a pigeon rescue in Los Angeles that could help her? Or is anyone in Los Angeles interested in taking the pigeon in, or helping my friend take care of it? She told me to give anyone willing to help her phone number. She lives just south of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood.

Please let me know! If I wasn't all the way on the other side of the country, I would totally take this pigeon in. She is going to post a picture of it later and I will post it here.

Thank you for reading!!!


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## LuaMoon (Feb 22, 2012)

Here is the pigeon my friend in Los Angeles is looking for help with. Looks like a Rock Pigeon:







Please help! I wish I could fly out to California and adopt it myself!


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## LuaMoon (Feb 22, 2012)

Here's the pigeon that was rescued. Sorry! Had trouble with attachments!
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4j8Pfb_-2UBTWM2eUV1clEySXc/edit?usp=sharing


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

He needs antibiotics as soon as possible, or he could easily die from an infection. Even if you cannot see them, the cats had to claw him, and being in the cats mouth. Even a pin prick can kill him from cat saliva.


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## LuaMoon (Feb 22, 2012)

So, my friend found this place and called the guy named Bruce, and he took the bird, but wasn't very nice about it. http://www.torrance.wbu.com/content/show/10158 So, she is going to check in and make sure the bird is okay tomorrow. But, it seems like the bird will be taken care of at least.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Well they will likely put him to sleep. It's not a pigeon friendly place.
This from their web page:
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For land birds (hawks, owls, song birds, but not crows, ravens or pigeons), and you are in the Los Angeles Basin, contact South Bay Wildlife Rehab at 310.378.9921. *

I would have stayed away from them. Even the fact that he wasn't very nice would make me go elsewhere.
Lord knows what they do with pigeons.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

The final sentence on the page is this... *If you have a pigeon, contact Bruce at 310-218-6548.*...so it may be okay. Could be he is cranky from getting so many pigeons.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Yes, I saw the final sentence.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Time out! I know Bruce very, very well and have for years. The pigeon will get the best of care from him, and it won't be euthanized. If Bruce was cranky, then there is a good reason for that. If I had to make a guess as to why he was cranky it would be that he had gotten slammed with bird calls from people many of which weren't willing to do their part by at least getting the bird to him or heaven forbid actually making a small donation towards the food, housing, and medical care. 

Just FYI Wild Birds Unlimited is a retail store, and Bruce has no relationship to them whatsoever aside from them putting his name and # on their webpage. South Bay Wildlife is a state and federally permitted wildlife rehab facility, but they don't take pigeons.

Terry


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## LuaMoon (Feb 22, 2012)

Oh thank you so much, Terry for responding!!! My friend would like to send Bruce a donation and a thank you card, now that she knows he's a legitimate rescuer. 

Bruce didn't ask for any donation from her and she would be more than happy to give Bruce some help. My friend felt like she was starting to bond with the little pigeon and is genuinely concerned with the pigeon's well being, and was starting to wonder if she should have just kept the bird herself (but she owns like 5 cats, so she didn't feel it was that safe of a place for the pigeon). My friend is a cat rescuer so she does understand how frustrating it is. 

Thank you for allaying our fears and letting us know that Bruce will be carinng for that cute pigeon.

Also, my friend would like to know if there is a good place to send a donation other than his home address? She said she still has his home address in her phone and wants to make sure that's the best place to send a donation, and who she should make it out to.

Thank you so much Terry! We really appreciate it.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Thanks for the info Terry. Cleared that up. That's great.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

I'll ask Bruce to post you a PM LuaMoon with the donation info.

Terry


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

I wondered if it was the Bruce you know, Terry.


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## Bruce (Feb 27, 2004)

*Message from Bruce -just to clear things up*

I don't remember who brought which bird because I get them almost daily. I rescue pigeons and doves because I love them, not for the money. Now that our local state licensed rehabber isn't taking any birds, except Hawks, the load is falling on other's shoulders like Terry and myself.

I own a small landscaping company that is doing poorly in this crap pile economy. Except for a few small donations (everything helps) I pay for the food, medicine, supplies out of my own pocket. I'm not affiliated with a retail store or anyone else. They refer people with injured birds to me, as they do Terry, because no one else will take them.

I do not euthanize any birds. Ask my blind Pij Ray who is healthy (fat) and has a girlfriend. I've had him for about 5 years.

Yesterday I was recovering from an out of town trip after a 5 hour drive when three people called. One had a pigeon, one had a Wilsons Warbler, and the last had a pigeon but couldn't bring it because it was too late. I explained to the first two that I had to go out and pick up food for my rabbits and with everything else on the list, I didn't have a lot of time. The first lady with the pigeon said she'd dry some dishes and come right over. I adjusted my schedule accordingly. She finally showed up 1-2 hours later. I told her I had no time left and took the pigeon. She's lucky I didn't tell her off.

The Warbler people called and were going to bring the bird over, then they called again and said it would be several hours later. At least they called.

I asked the last caller with the pigeon if she could bring it today. She said she had to work so she can't. I told her I had a job also and I can't pick up the bird. So were does that leave the poor bird?

My advice is when you're "rescuing" a bird by dumping it off on someone at least be considerate of our time. We're not just sitting around with nothing to do but wait for people to show up. If you say you're bringing a bird at a specific time bring the bird or at least call. Also we don't need to hear your life story or how you find animals all the time -just get our address and bring the bird. Also use google maps so we don't have to waste time telling you, turn by turn, how to get to our house. To use Google maps you need a computer. If you don't have a computer, you don't drive, and your cell phone (if you have one ) can't help you, go live in a cave and put yourself out of our misery.

Terry has a full time job also. You can read Terry's facebook page to see that she's lucky to get in bed at a reasonable hour and when she does she's bone tired or totally thrashed. The same is true for me and anyone else that rescues animals.

Here's another example, and there are hundreds. How about the lady that needs to go back to work after a long absence and her boss won't let her handfeed a sparrow at work. It has to be fed about every 30 minutes. She doesn't want to drive it 30-45 minutes to my house so I arrange to meet her half way. She shows up driving a brand new Audi, compared with my 97 beater Ford Ranger, dumps the bird on my and takes off. Barely a thank you, couldn't even give me $5 for gas. Now I'm driving around all day feeding a sparrow. It was a cute little thing and I got attached to it but that's not the point.

While I'm ranting, I can't pickup birds. If I did I would not have time for my regular job. I quit picking them up after I went for several drives, that were 45 minute each way, and watched the birds fly away. 

In summary, I love the birds it's the people that I have trouble with. Ninty nine percent are awesome and I've met some really great people.


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## Charis (Feb 11, 2007)

Thank you, Bruce. I have often have similar experiences and* it makes me very cranky*, which is why I made the comment I did.


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## LuaMoon (Feb 22, 2012)

This was definitely not my friend: "I asked the last caller with the pigeon if she could bring it today. She said she had to work so she can't. I told her I had a job also and I can't pick up the bird. So were does that leave the poor bird?"

She's a cat rescuer herself, so she wouldn't say that. Also, My friend does not work. She is in her 60's and retired. 

I think there were two misunderstandings with my friend: 1) I think you had her confused with someone else 2) when she said: "We are on our way right now", is that they live north of Culver City just south of West Hollywood, which is a good 30 miles away from where Bruce lives, and I know from having lived in Los Angeles in the past, 30 miles is an hour away on a good day, particularly when you have to pass LAX.

It used to take me over an hour to drive from Hawthorne, CA to where I worked in West Hollywood, CA and that was only 15 miles (if there was no traffic, and I hit all the green lights, it would take me no less than 35 minutes).

But, all that being behind us, we are very happy that Bruce is a legitimate pigeon rescuer and we really are happy that the bird is going to be taken good care of. She will be sending you a small donation to show she really does appreciate it.

If she ever does rescue a bird again, just know if she says "I'm on my way", if she doesn't hit traffic, that could mean an hour to 45 minutes away and if it's not convenient with you, she's flexible & would have no problem taking care of the bird until it was convenient for you. 

Again THANK YOU Bruce, we are glad you are there for the birds.


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## LuaMoon (Feb 22, 2012)

Oh, PS! I just found the pictures of your aviary, Bruce. I'm SO happy we found you! http://s245.photobucket.com/user/bdcaron/library/?sort=3&page=1


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