# Another shot bird, this time baby fantail



## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Joan found this one last night. It is a fantail and just a soft little squeaker.

She took it to the vet, the vet couldn't tell whether the bullet is still in it, but I found what looks like an "exit" wound on the other side of the body which I think the vet missed. 

The bullet went through the wing, then into the body. I don't know whether she will pull through.

I have sent the photos to the paper and e-mailed the police...Joan has also contacted the regular police and the wildlife police. 

http://community.webshots.com/album/552079001MtxZuE

 

Cynthia


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

And now a third one, it was lying in a pool of blood and Joan thinks it is dying so I told her to put it somewhere arm and quiet rather than subject ot to the stress of transporting it here. She has a vet that will see wildlife in an emergency but she doesn't think it would last the journey.

Word has it that someone is also shooting the ducks and geese there under cover of darkness.

Cynthia


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

OMG, this so upsetting and depressing.
I hope the police will do something to catch this monster.
Poor babies. Thank you and Joan for caring for those little sweet babies.

Reti


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

I'm so sorry to hear about the birds.

Saying a little prayer that the birds make it, and that the culprit is caught.


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

How very sad Cynthia.  
Such a beautiful & innocent bird.

Are these birds found anywhere near where the beak incidents took place?

Cindy


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## kittypaws (Sep 18, 2005)

Cynthia,

I am sorry to hear about these poor birds being shot at. What kind of sick person gets a kick out of doing this. I do hope that the perpetrators get caught.

My partner Colin said that when he was in the garden the other day, he heard a shot, which he is sure was an air rifle but unsure where it came from. If I knew I would report them straightaway. 

Also a neighbour of ours, a young lad of 16 was arrested last year for taking pot shots at cats and pigeons ( I don' think he hit anything luckily) . He went to court but got let off with community service - makes my blood boil - that people get away with these things - something so serious as using a gun being trivialised  

I hope the little fantail does recover.

Tania xx


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## John_D (Jan 24, 2002)

AZWhitefeather said:


> How very sad Cynthia.
> Such a beautiful & innocent bird.
> 
> Are these birds found anywhere near where the beak incidents took place?
> ...


These are kinda on our (or Cynthia's) doorstep, Cindy.

The place is where most of our white pigeon rescues came from - which really lets out the idea of releasing the fit ones back there, possibly permanently. Joan is the lady who has found the previous sick or injured ones we now have.

John


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## Maggie-NC (Jun 22, 2005)

Cynthia, I so hope this little one makes it. There are evil people out there.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Looking at the pictures, I can't tell where the shot went through or where in the body it might have gone although there wouldn't be much energy left to go through the body after having gone through the wing. You'd need to clean all that up first and dried blood in feathers can get just about rock solid. If there is a pellet lodged then you do need to get it out, though, so I'd get to cleaning the wound on the body if nothing else.

But, in order for the wing to have the best chance of being workable later, you probably do need to clean the hole going through out and get the bird on an antibiotic like Clavamox. Otherwise, more scar tissue will develop in the working parts and limit future flight ability. You just don't know until you get down to the task.

Pidgey


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I will e-mail you some close up shots, Pidgey, maybe you will be able to see more than I can. 

The vet saw it yesterday evening and did a clean up but I didn't get it until mid day today, so there are rock hard feathers and scabs, but I am working on them.

It definitely went through the body because there is a wound on the other side that doesn't have feathers forced in. But I think it must have gone through the crop and am hoping that Joan will take it back to the vet for repairs. 

Cynthia


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

I have just spent some time just cleaning up the entry wound and I can't say that the vet had done a very good job of that! 

This isn't my own vet but the one Joan took it to, who treats wildlife for free...her heart is in the right place as she treated it as an emergency after surgery hours.

I am having to give the pigeon long rests between cleaning sessions as it must be in such a lot of pain.


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## christina11 (Jan 20, 2006)

This is so sad how can someone shoot such a lovley white pigeon. 

I hope everything goes well with this beautiful pigeon and she can live a full healthy life.


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, in defense of the vet, it's a LOT of work to clean something like that up. Incidentally, the more humane you are--the more work it is. Anyhow, I've had my fair share of wounds like that to deal with and:

(Blood + Feathers) x Drying = Epoxy Resin, Steel-Reinforced Concrete

The only thing that can make it easier is the prescription-only (here in The States) enzymatic debrider (although there are some less-powerful ones that spray on that may be over-the-counter). You probably don't have that option and so hydrating the scabs and slowly chipping at them like you're doing is probably the only game in town at this point.

Pidgey


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

How awful, Cynthia. I do hope the police will at least try to find this warped person and take action again him/her. Best of luck with that poor bird.

Terry


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Cynthia,


If the projectile went through the Crop, it may be worth while to condier an exploratory surgical opening of the Skin covering the Crop to see the condition of the Esophagus, the Trachia, and the Crop itself...and, if need be, to have these perforations sutured nicely so all may heal well.

Otherwise, if these are leaking, it can go badly from here on, even if all else is fine, or fine enough.


This of course should be done absolutely a.s.a.p., lest bacterial infections begin from leakage festering inside the front cavity below the Crop.


Good luck...!

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Pidgey (May 20, 2005)

Well, that's what the prophylactic antibiotic is for (the bird's on Clavamox). I've... uhh... had a little experience here. When the crop leaks, it will usually abscess to the outside in the quickest path and form a fistula. While that's a horrifying thought, it's still more of a nuisance than anything else. Since there's already an entrance and possible exit wound, it would actually be real simple to just use an otoscope in the hole that's already there to go looking around. The simplest way to check for a true crop puncture,though, is to just gavage the bird with 20 mls of water--I GUARANTEE you that if there's so much as a 1/16" diameter hole, the largest percentage of that will leak out pretty quick.

Incidentally, she has been giving the bird 4 mls of water at a time and it hasn't leaked that she could see. I expect she's headed off to bed by now so it's going to be a fair chunk of time before there's an update.

Pidgey


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

This is awful, Cynthia. What kind of sadist would shoot a baby fantail? They can hardly even fly. This makes me sick. I pray the little one pulls through and the authorities find whoever is doing this.


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## Keys & Eyegone (May 9, 2004)

That is so peaché. 
I was at my best friend's {all nighter} grad party last night and I was talking to her cousin and he said that he uses pigeons as taget practice. I told he that if I EVER caught him shooting at any bird I'd shoot him with one of my guns for target practice! He thought I was bluffingm but I wasn't, which he soon found out. Things like this make me so angry. I hope some one catches the little *beeper*. 
An eye for an eye I say!
Good luck with the little one!
Hilary Dawn


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Keys & Eyegone said:


> I was at my best friend's {all nighter} grad party last night and I was talking to her cousin and he said that he uses pigeons as taget practice.
> *I told he that if I EVER caught him shooting at any bird I'd shoot him with one of my guns for target practice! He thought I was bluffingm but I wasn't, which he soon found out.*
> Things like this make me so angry. I hope some one catches the little *beeper*.
> An eye for an eye I say!
> ...


Things like this upset us all Hilary, however, making any type of threat, especially one that is going to cause harm to another, is *not* a good idea. 
It makes no difference if you're joking, bluffing or serious, which I certainly hope you weren't, even though you said you were, it just shouldn't be done.  

Cindy


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## Keys & Eyegone (May 9, 2004)

Ya I see where you are coming from. I had many threats from boys in my neighborhood saying that they would shoot my birds in the avairy, so I started carrying my metal bat outside for a whole summer. One morning I DID find one little bugger pointing a hand gun into my avairy, I threw the bat at him, I hit his arm holding the gun and he took off. I did try to report it to the police but they said that it would be my work against his and that it wouldn't hold up and the traditional "they're just pigeons". So I take all these birds with gun shot wounds serousely cause that's how I almost lost all my birds. I was very out of my mind when I said it, I had being drinking (for the first time) and it was 2am. I'm not trying to justify my actions, they were childish, but if it'll stop him then it's all good. Like I said too I believe in that old saying "An eye for an eye" not sure about anyone else but I go by it.
Hilary Dawn


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Keys & Eyegone said:


> Ya I see where you are coming from. I had many threats from boys in my neighborhood saying that they would shoot my birds in the avairy, so I started carrying my metal bat outside for a whole summer.
> 
> *One morning I DID find one little bugger pointing a hand gun into my avairy, I threw the bat at him, I hit his arm holding the gun and he took off. I did try to report it to the police but they said that it would be my work against his and that it wouldn't hold up and the traditional "they're just pigeons*".
> 
> ...


I understand where you're coming from Hilary, I really do. 

I've never had an incident with anyone attempting to cause harm to any of my pets, but I do know the police here take reports of anyone brandishing a gun, knife, etc., very seriously & they will follow it up.
It's a shame they didn't do so in your situation. 

Cindy


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## Lin Hansen (Jan 9, 2004)

Hilary,

I know a lot of teenagers have cell phones that can take pictures....do you? If so, make sure you always have your phone with you. That way, if an incident like that ever occurs again, you can take a picture and have proof for the police.

Linda


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## Keys & Eyegone (May 9, 2004)

Thanks for understanding now Terry/Cindy .
Lin I didn't have a cell phone. This happen 2 years ago but it left a deep scar in my mind and soul which will NEVER leave. Here in town we have some really nice police and some really jerks. I got my hand broken by a guy that was 3 years older them my in '99 and his father was a cop and he said I deserved it. We took them to court and won the case. It has been H-E-double hockey stick even since. The boy has a lot of mean friends and they all want to kill my birds and just about all other animals to get to me (not to menten they threatened to kill me numerous times). I try and keep my cool ever time but once in awhile ya just crack! {ie: last night} Cynthia's case just breaks my heart and and makes my blood boil!
My family and I own about 100 acers of land and we have quiet a bit of moose cause of the salt water swamp on the property so we get poaches. So once in a while we go up to the land (sometimes with our guns sometimes not) to check up on our wildlife population.
It's never ending here and I'm sure everywhere else. I try to eduacte as many people as I can along the way. Like this guy I was talk about from last night, we talk for almost an hour about pigeons, he kept on put them down and a brought them up, but when he made that comment I was taken a back and got very defensive. 
A lot of people are cruel, no wonder I choose animals over people. 
Good luck Cynthia, let us know how this sweety is doing!
Hilary Dawn

PS~Did you try using a strong magnet to locate the bullet?


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## naturegirl (Nov 7, 2005)

There are days I wish I could get into Peoples heads and figure out why and what their motives are for doing such cruel things to people and animals. One day these people will have to answer for all their rotten and insensitive cruel acts and I pray and hope they they have to suffer likes the inocent animals and humans they hurt. I haven't read all the threads but I hope she makes it. 
Cindy


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## ernie (May 3, 2003)

> PS~Did you try using a strong magnet to locate the bullet?


Uhm... most bullets are made of 'non-magnetic' led.

As to cleaning up a dried wound, try my trick. Take a chamomile tea bag and wet it and cover the wound with it for a time (Tie it on with a bandage). It softens up the dried blood nicely and Chamomile also has antiseptic qualities.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Hi Hilary,

I'm so sorry you've had to deal with all this miserable, rotten behavior from people in your area. I believe it was Cindy that you meant one of your previous responses for, but I'm honored that you thought of me  

Terry


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## Keys & Eyegone (May 9, 2004)

OOPS. I'm very tierd. I woke up at 7am yesterday to take care of the birds go to work for 9am, got home at 5pm took a shower and went to my friends place for the party. We stayed up to 3:30am and got up at 9am. Been awake ever since. Now is like 12am and I have to go to work tomorrow. {OOPS again.} 
Ernie~most are, but you never know nowdays what these kids are using (you can turn frozen hambuger into a bullet).
Take to you tomorrow!
Good Luck Cynthia!
Hilary Dawn


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## Pete Jasinski (Jan 2, 2005)

Hearing this just makes my blood boil! I'd find this SOB and beat him with his pellet gun to an inch of his life! I don't condone violence but maiming/killing poor innocent animals is the work of a sick demented individual.


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## Pete Jasinski (Jan 2, 2005)

ernie said:


> Uhm... most bullets are made of 'non-magnetic' led.
> 
> As to cleaning up a dried wound, try my trick. Take a chamomile tea bag and wet it and cover the wound with it for a time (Tie it on with a bandage). It softens up the dried blood nicely and Chamomile also has antiseptic qualities.


If it was a pellet gun used to shoot this poor dear soul it was either lead or a copper coated lead pellet.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

The little one survived the night.

A man once threatened to shoot the town pigeons that I was feeding and to throw their bodies in my garden, when I reported that to the police they took it seriously and wanted to give him a harassment warning for the threat. They also took the incident of the man setting his dog on the city pigeons seruously, so I hope that they will investigate this incident promptly as there is the additional danger to humans.

Cynthia


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## pdpbison (Mar 15, 2005)

Hi Cynthia,


Good luck with this little one...!


Are they able to be fed allrighty? Appetite good? Poops?

Crop was perforated high? Low? middle?

Are they leaking?


Best wishes...

Phil
Las Vegas


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

*Update*

I have made an appointment to see an avian specialist on Friday as I am still worried about the damage that the pellet could have made to the crop on entry as well as exit. Because of the path the bullet took the crop may not be torn exactly at the entry point but further into the body.

I am also concerned that one of the shot pigeons could have a pellet embedded somewhere and suffer from lead poisoning eventually.

Meanwhile, the two young fantails (the other one seems to have been chewed up by a dog) are sharing a cage with a heat lamp attached and when I last looked in on them they were both doing leg, wing and tail stretches, looking very relaxed!

Cynthia


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Appreciate the update Cynthia.
Sure hope things go well on your vet visit.  

Glad to hear your little fantails are doing good. I love to watch my guys doing their 'exercises'. I should probably join in. I could use a little stretching here & there.  

Cindy


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

I'm so glad to hear they are doing better, Cynthia. Please keep us posted.


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## Reti (Jul 20, 2003)

Stretching is good.
Thanks for the update and good luck on Friday.

Reti


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

*In the news*

Although we sent the pictures of the injured fantails 3 times (much more dramatic impact!) they don't seem to have received them and used the photo of the first pigeon, which John sent, instead. We deliberately sent different photos.

http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/News/story.aspx?brand=ENOnline&category=News&tBrand=enonline&tCategory=news&itemid=NOED12%20Jul%202006%2009%3A36%3A47%3A060


Cynthia


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## jazaroo (Jan 1, 2006)

Hi Cynthia,

I am so glad this made the news. I believe it greatly increases the odds of the culprit being apprehended, and if not that, at least he may be aware he is now being sought after and stop this sadistic behavior.

Ron


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

Hi Ron,

We have also printed off posters of the shot doves with the police telephone numbers, to be placed in shop windows. As you say, it might deter him. The important thing is to stop the shooting.

Meanwhile the shot white fantail is sharing a cage with a white squeaker that was mawled by a dog, they lie close together and preen each other, which is a delight to see.

Cynthia


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

They must be a great comfort to each other and their friendship will probably assist their recovery. I've noticed my youngsters of the same age always hang out as a group. 

I'm glad you were able to get some publicity about this. Public outcry is a powerful weapon.


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## TAWhatley (Mar 6, 2001)

Good job on the news article and the flyers. I hope someone will drop a dime on the culprit.

Terry


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## teebo (Jul 7, 2006)

there are alot of sickos out in the world today.uggg...makes me so angry.


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

All three surviving birds are doing well.

The first one turned out to have torticollis as well so is in complete isolation. I gave him calcium syrup and he has been almost normal since, but I cannot risk him mixing with other birds.

He was hating being in a cage but I didn't want to let him fly free in my freshly painted room, so I let him loose and when he flew up to the curtain rail I used a pole to remove him and place him on a box on top of his cage. I explained that he had to stay there, he can fly around the room but has to perch and roost on the box. Poor baby, he obeyed this rule and will come off his box to eat and bathe but most of the time sits or lolls on top of it. He is a real treasure.

The two fantails are sharing a cage, they also have to remain in isolation a bit longer. I took them to the vet who confirmed that the one with a broken leg was healing well but that the other had had its wing fractured in two places, so it was bandaged for a week. She did a poor job of the bandaging because the leg on the side of the fractured wing was compressed and the poor pigeon fell over as soon as it moved and was unable to right itself, so I had to make a few adjustments without affecting the bits where the break was. I took the bandage off yesterday and the dove was so happy, she spent hours preening. Her wing is back in the right position but stiff so I don't know if she will ever fly. The pellet had passed right through the crop but the vet said that was healing well.

The probabilty is the shots were coming from a specific block of flats and the evidence points to the fact that they were shot with an air rifle at night, at close range while roosting. As we studied one of the the flyers a woman came up and told us they were not doves but pigeons and (to summarise) that they needed to be culled. I sent her off with a lecture about God having chosen the pigeon or dove as the form in which the Holy Spirit manisfested itself and that she should think again before she decided it should die for "being a problem" to her. But her attitude bodes ill for the welfare of the birds in that location.

This episode prompted me to research the block of flats on the Internet and I found that last summer a resident had threatened the police with an air rifle, that he is mentally ill , had a history of convictions and violence and that he still lived in the same place. It is a very small block, perhaps 8 of the flats have balconies on which pigeons would roost. I wrote to the police about this apparent "coincidence". As far as I know there have there have been no further incidents.

Cynthia


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## Whitefeather (Sep 2, 2002)

Sure appreciate the update Cynthia.  
Glad your little patients are doing good.

Souns like this individual definitely has some 'problems'. It's truly a shame innocent birds have become victims.  

Please do update when time permits.  

Cindy


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## Birdmom4ever (Jan 14, 2003)

Thanks for the wonderful update, Cynthia. I'm so glad to hear the injured pigeons are recovering nicely. It warms my heart to know they are in your care.

It sounds like you might have found the shooter in the mentally ill man. I hope the police will do something. You did a good job setting that woman with the negative attitude toward pigeons straight. God did indeed make the dove the symbol of the Holy Spirit and that says a lot. Pigeons and doves are mentioned far more times in the Bible than _any other bird_. I believe they have a special place in God's heart.


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## kittypaws (Sep 18, 2005)

Bless you Cynthia - I am so glad you stood up to this woman - I hate ignorance in people and there are so many ignorant people out there with pre-conceived ideas which they glean from the media or other sources including people they know etc. I should know - I work with some - But I think most of us do...... 

Also I like the Miss Marple bit, but I would be so the same if there was someone with an air rifle* - I mean it's bad enough that they are shooting roosting pigeons and doves but what next? Sadly it would probably take a child to be hit before the police would get involved and that is so very sad.

Thank you for updating us on this.

Tania x

* My partner Colin though he heard an air rifle recently near us - I haven't heard anything but I'm all ears and watching..


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## Feefo (Feb 8, 2002)

In a way I hope that it is the mentally ill man that is doing it, he isn't in control of his actions, but someone also heard the caretaker saying that unless the pigeons were removed he would shoot them. There seem to be so many people that would harm pigeons but then a lot of people think that shooting birds is an acceptable "sport".

I did a bit of follow up to find out more about the pigeon hating woman, she also lives in that block of flats and one of her standard lines is "I used to keep pigeons". 

I really believe that the pigeon has spiritual significance.

Cynthia


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## Feather (Dec 8, 2005)

You are very smart Cynthia to think of investigating the neighborhood over the internet. It sounds like there are two mental cases so far.

Good luck on this quest! Hopefully there will be not more shootings.

Feather


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