Nine Racing Pigeons Finally Get a Life

January 2003

PETA received a call from a San Francisco, California, woman desperate for help in rescuing nine pigeons from a neighbor’s garage. The neighbor had exploited the birds in racing events and, once they were no longer useful, banished them to a life of confinement in his garage.

Reputable bird sanctuaries are scarce, and pigeon sanctuaries are virtually non-existent. But with the help of Earth Angels Parrot Sanctuary, PETA found a kind pigeon rehabilitator who was willing to build a brand-new indoor/outdoor enclosure for the birds.

Our complainant transported the birds to their new home, where they delighted in basking in the sun and bathing in a tub of water. Two of them were so exhausted from the excitement of their new home that they fell asleep right in the tub.


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 Ingrid E. Newkirk

“Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights?” READ MORE

— Ingrid E. Newkirk, PETA President and co-author of Animalkind