PETA Statement: Doves Crash at World Cup

For Immediate Release:
June 13, 2014

Contact:
PETA 202-483-7382

Releasing doves at any event—whether it’s a wedding or the World Cup—can turn a celebration into a sad occasion because experience shows that when white doves who spend their lives in captivity are released, these flock animals have little chance of surviving on their own. Disoriented and usually unable to find their way home, they have been known to fall prey to predators, cut their wings on electrical wires, face starvation because they have no idea how to feed themselves, or succumb to extreme weather conditions and other dangers. Birds used as living decorations at sporting events—including eagles, condors, and owls—have crashed into barriers, slammed into walls, and flown into windows. In one case, a bird even died after being hit by a ball and kicked by a soccer player. PETA urges all event planners, sports teams, and colleges to leave birds and other wildlife in nature, where they belong.