The Pigeon Racing World

[BrokenWing]

BrokenWing Chronicles
The Pigeon Racing World

This is an old chronicle, but it is full of true words, The Racing Pigeon world decided to make up lies to discredit my rescue efforts...it didn't work...
Fact, Racing Pigeon People kill birds that don't make it home after being entered into a race, after all a bird that can't find his/her way home surely can't make the owner any money.

Let my words be read!

Seems now "Stories are being fabricated" by people in high up standing's, Stories that are to dis credit my reputation as I fight for the bird of peace.

A Racing Pigeon Person seen there was a need to help lost Racing Pigeons find there way back home, and a website was created for this surpose.
This person asked me to join her group and help her cause.

As I watched many (Pigeon Racing People) turn there backs unto there birds saying (keep the bird) and I learned of (culling and standards that are followed) within the Racing World, I became distraught, angered.

Just what are we doing here I asked myself, helping these birds get home to what "a certain death?".

A former Moderator of this site was having problems finding help for a lost Pigeon, this bird was perched on a persons light in front of there home, This person refused to touch the bird, and was complaining about the mess, making threats to call the authorities to remove the bird.

I interviened and called the man, I assured him I would find help for both him and the bird.
I googled "Pigeon Fanciers" and typed in the city where these folks lived, I called a few people and found one person that might be able to help, but he was at a (pigeon club meeting), I left a message with his wife, The man called me back in a short time, I explained the situation and asked him to help, I provided him the address and phone number to the folks in need, I said "this bird is very hungry and in need of help in the worse way, Please won't you help".
The man went to the home, it was not far away, he caught the bird and spoke to the home owners and called me from there phone, I could hear in the background the home owner saying "Thank you Arty", as the rescuer spoke with me, he assured me this bird was a "roller" and he knew someone that could take the bird in.
I thanked this man for all he had done, and assured him how grateful I was to get that little bird some help.

I saw another Moderator of this site having problems, seems a woman found a Pigeon flapping in the lake, this bird was badly injured, seems one wing was completely severed, I suspected a Eagle or Falcon had hit the bird.
This person was frantic, she couldn't get the bleeding to stop, again I intervened and called the lady, I asked her to use table flour to stop the bleeding, and keep the bird in a dark safe place while I located the owner.
She called me back and said "Thank you, the bleeding is stopped". I assured her I would locate the owner.
I called the owner, "he's asleep" his wife stated to me, I explained what was happening so she woke her husband up, I spoke with him, I provided the rescuers address and phone number, He thought I was a crank call, but called the person anyway.
I called the lady back and she said "the owner just called me, he lives very close by, hes on his way.
As I spoke with her on the phone, the owner arrived.
Sadly, this bird fell silent!

The owner of the site called me, we spoke for awhile, she said I needed to stop bad mouthing the Racing Pigeon Industry, she went on by saying she has made a great deal of money racing Pigeons, I responded very politely, "I don't race Pigeons, I rescue them!".

This owner called me again, seems there was a Racer down over a hundred miles away, the finder was growing frustrated with the time it was taking to find the owner, she asked me to go and pick the bird up, out the door I went, (I have promised to help any Pigeon within a hundred mile radius from our home).
I drove there and picked up the bird, the owner was found and called me, he agreed to pick his bird up in a few days.

Here's my point, there are those within the Pigeon Racing World that do love there birds, they will do all there is to do to get one of there birds home.

The sport is plagued with those that practice culling.
Those that refuse to do all that is needed to get one of there birds home, hence the words (keep the bird).
This is the last thing a finder wants to hear.

Standards.
It is well know these racing Pigeon people follow standards, birds that are to large are culled, to small, black tounges, and the (standard lists goes on and on).

I being a (true Rescuer) fight these standards, Fight for changes within the so called (prestigeous) sport of Pigeon Racing.

I recently read on one of the Pigeon racing club sites, the federal goverment is about to enforce strict regulations unto the sport, instead of these clubs seeing theres a problem and making changes within there sport, they are asking there members for money to fight the feds, "they want there killing ways to continue, they care less how there birds contribute to the Feral population.
Currently, Many birds can be entered into a race from each loft, a starting point would be "ONE BIRD ENTERED PER LOFT".
This would reduce the amount of lost birds, reduce the mass breeding of these birds hoping a winner is born.
Instead of seeing the problem and making much needed changes, the Racing Pigeon Industry strives to keep things the way they are.

Now it seems stories are being made up.
Apparently a person using my name "BrokenWing" has went to a animal shelter where there was several racing pigeons being held, provided a spca (fake) ID and picked up these birds.

So....when I found out about this, I contacted this (liar) from the AU and asked for the shelter name so I could go and speak with them.
Humane Societies and Animal Shelters are known to turn there backs unto Pigeons, and surely a Banded Pigeon.

I done battle with this (higher up) person representing the AU, He couldn't give me the Shelters name, or better said, he refused to give me the shelters name.

This is the very same person that sent me the (false award) for supporting the sports club and there (presitgeous) sport.
Again, let me make this clear, I do not support the Racing Pigeon Industry, I rescue the Pigeon.
Unfortunately I feel a need to (protect) the bird of peace from these racing people.

Then the owner of this (keep the bird) site was bold enough to post her words on a (Pigeon Rescue site) that I was not authorized to retrieve any banded pigeons.

Let it be known, I do and will continue to RESCUE all Pigeons, weather banded or not.
I have been helping these birds for many years before this (keep the bird) site was even thought about.

I will continue to rescue these birds and do all I can to get the Racer back to the rightful owner, after I am assured the bird will not be killed because he/she couldn't find there way home to make the owner some money.

Folks in this sport that turn there backs on there own birds need to be documented, warned, and if things don't change, removed, banded from the sport, this will never happen due to membership dues will drop dramatically....bottom line.......

And your higher up people within these clubs, will have to get a real job....god forbid....

So.....Please know......I work for the bird of peace!

I strive to rescue them and protect them from such people.

I am a threat to this so called (prestgeous sport) and now they are doing all they can to stop my efforts....

Sooooo, Don't threat'n the owner of this site (racing people)

Here's my address and phone number, call me (tough guy)....make your threats to me.

I'll take you up on your threats, I will see ya in court.....

I have copied and pasted all conversations....all!!!!!

Arty Tovar
BrokenWing Wildlife & Exotic & Pigeon Rescue & Rehab
10430 Hummingbird st nw
Coon Rapids, Mn 55433
763-767-8107


To Continue

[BrokenWing]

The Pigeon Racing sport is suppose to be just that, A SPORT, not a get rich quick sceme and or a way to rid your lofts of unwanted pigeons.
It is well known that Pigeon Racers can enter multiple birds from there lofts per race, this has to end, one bird per loft per race needs to be enforced.
It is well known that during training many birds are taken away from there lofts and released, those that don't make it home (basket cullers), wonder freely and contribute to the feral populations, These birds (if they survive) join up with feral flocks and contribute to mass poisonings by city officials and thus contribute to the pigeons demise, and the way people look upon the bird of peace.
I recently took in 20 culler's from a pigeon racer, these birds were going to be killed, the very same pigeon racer had 20 more not long after, breed breed breed by the mass in numbers hoping for a winner, then snap the necks of the unwanted birds, or set them free to be the publics problem.
I find this extrememly PATHETIC.
Strict Federal guide lines need to be imposed upon the racing pigeon world.
It is apparent there is no control within the Pigeon Racing world.
If the pigeon racing world can not control there members, then its past time for the federal goverment to do the controling.
Arty

Here's a brief (True Story) of a converstaion I had with a Racing person,I will name him (Joe).
Joe, "I released 20 birds today for training, only 7 have made it home".
Arty, "what do you think happened to the rest Joe?"
Joe, "they probubly ended up with the wild feral flock down the street, the flock is huge, I would say arond 200 birds".
Arty, "A flock of 200, that unusual".
Joe, "most are probubly mine"...as he laughs.
Arty, "well there has to be a food source near by, these flocks don't grow in numbers unless there's a good food supply".
Joe, "that flock needs to be destroyed, I am loosing to many birds".
Arty, "Lets get this straight, your love pigeons, your raise and race them, but yet you support the wild feral pigeons destruction?"
Joe, "yes, many of my birds end up in that flock".

Again, this was a true phone conversation I personally had with a Racing Pigeon Person.

Another talk we had,
Joe, "Hey I have to many birds, I hear you rescue the Pigeon".
Arty, "Why yes I do, how many Pigeons are we talking about?"
Joe, "oh, around 15 or so, that I would like to be rid of."
Arty, "I will take them Joe".
4 Months later
Joe, "you won't believe this but I need to get rid of some more birds".


The Racing Pigeon world is a world of no control, mass breeding where unwanted birds are killed by the snap of the neck or entered into long distance races knowing the bird will not make it home.
Many birds are lost during training, and join up with feral flocks, then they contribute to the feral populations, the general public cries about there numbers and mankind rushes in to mass poison the birds of peace.

"If you find a Racing Pigeon that is not injured, Please offer a meal of wildbird seed and possibly a fresh drink of water".
"If the bird hangs around ask yourself, is this really a bad thing?"
"Please remember, most Racing Pigeons that are found lost are not any good to there owner, they couldn't find there way home let alone win a race now could they, after all the bird is ontop your home or garage".
"You will probubly hear KEEP THE BIRD if you do find the owner".
"Or worse yet, the owner comes to get his/her bird and as soon as he gets home the birds neck is snapped".
"These are facts folks, simple facts, there are those that do more harm to there birds within the Racing Pigeon world, than there are good folks that truely love there birds, are you willing to risk trying to help a lost Racing Pigeon find his/her way home just to have your efforts end with the bird being killed?"
"honestly, wouldn't that bird be better off being FREE?".

[BrokenWing]

BrokenWing Chronicles
The Culling world
What happens to lost pigeons,
in racers'/fanciers' own words, which is a very small sample of such messages posted to their own, restricted membership email discussion groups (unless otherwise noted):
To read about more abuses, click on Killing Pigeons for Ego, Profit, and Fun and Competitive Pigeon Racers'/Fanciers' Attitudes
Note: It is a customary practice of competitive pigeon racers to kill lost birds they retrieve after being found and reported by concerned people. The hapless bird may be the result of "basket culling" in the first place, which means that birds are carelessly released far from home and any who don't make it back to their family and friends (in essence, abandoned) are deemed not worthy of keeping, anyway.
A tactic to build and maintain a false public image by the competitive pigeon racing community is to assure finders that lost birds are welcome back home, even though they will actually be killed -- if not immediately, most likely in the very near future because their failure to return home proved to their owner that they are no longer worthy of being alive.

From: Harry Hill [Maverick Loft]
. . .
I got a message yesterday ... [about] a call from a lady with a lost bird... ... She is afraid if she returns it to its owner it will be killed... I will contact the birds owner and let him know what is happening with the bird and we'll see what happens from there. The lady wants to make it a pet if it will be killed so I hope the owner of the bird will let her have it.

From: Harry Hill [Maverick Loft]
. . .
...if I can find the legal owner he or she could claim the bird. I'm trying to locate the owner, what I want to avoid is having a situation where the legal owner contacts the animal lover and says to kill it or picks it up and kills it. That happens ... often. I got a call about a lost bird once and contacted the owner to pick up their bird. They didn't want to but I explained it was the responsibility of the owner to collect lost birds. This person went to where the bird was, collected it and as he walked back to his car he pulled its head in front of the rescuers and threw it in the trash can. I got the call from the rescuers who were all upset and could not understand why someone would do something like that. ...we do have to be discreet in how we do this in front of others...

Subject: ... What to do with them all...
From: Eleanor D Souza - Lady Flyer - 1212 Loft
I for one would not want all my racers to return -- where would I put them? What would I do with them? ...
... Racers that have done nothing as a young bird or as a yearling and show no signs of being a potentially good breeder are culled. Yes. Culled [killed]. ... I haven't come across anyone wanting to keep a pigeon as a pet and I wouldn't give a cull to anyone wanting to improve their stock. ...I don't have the time, money, or energy to keep birds that have not proven themselves as racers nor showing potential in being a good breeder.

Subject: Re: Mike Sordahl--"Keep the best cull the rest."
From: Mike Thomas
I have been breeding pigeons for over twenty-five years ... Normally I raise around fifty birds each year. I train hard and ... some birds can't take daily training [meaning, they don't make it home and are lost in the wild to die] ... I have never had more than two or three that I have kept at the end of the year. Everything else is culled. Since I don't fly oldbirds [sic] if the bird does not produce in the breeding loft as a yearling then it is also culled.
Sounds harsh, but I am interested in winning. ...
. . .
To be successful in pigeons you have to treat them like a business...

Subject: CULLING
From: Andrei
For the homing pigeons culling isn't necessary because you can fly them and those that aren't good enough will be lost. If a bird comes from the races late every time and it isn't in the prizes you simply send it to a longer race and if it comes you send to a longer one and so on.

Subject: Re: Culling (Animal Dave) BY Kenneth Oliver
From: Skyrac 4370 [SkyRacer Lofts]
If [a person against lethal culling] were a pigeon in my loft [it] would be culled... FACT NOT FICTION.
. . .
If you race your birds and lose one what do you think happens to it? More than likely it will die a slow death of starvation or be food for some hawk. I'll be ---- if I will feed them hawks. Over their dead bodies!!

Click on this line to see a very special page re: Steve Souza

Subject: Returning Lost Racers
From: goosegirl...
Newsgroup
... I once met a pigeon guy at the feed store who raced pigeons; he said if a bird of his got lost, and was returned to him by a person, he just snapped the bird's neck for being a lousy racer....

Subject: YB races
From: Chris ... Drummond

By cutting YB losses, we hope to 'appear' as though we are more concerned for the birds.
Subject: Racers 1st-White dove 2nd

In regards to the white bird release business... I got all the white birds I could lay my hands on and flew them through the races... What is left, are what I bred....

http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/...PijAbuses.html
http://www.urbanwildlifesociety.org/...ijKilling.html

Culling for LIFE
http://www.pigeon-life.net/causes/culling_for_life.htm

BW

[BrokenWing]

From: "R&E Loft's / Ron, Ellen and Eric" <relofts>
To: "Pijn People Rescue Group" <PijnPeople>, "New York Pigeon Group Rescue" <NYCPRC>, "NBRC Online" <NBRConline>, 911ParrotAlert@yahoogroups.com, "Feral Pigeon Rescue" <fprc>
Subject: Help Needed ASAP for Protection of our Pigeons
Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2007 10:18:17 -0700
Folks,

We are about to lose protection for Homing Pigeons/Banded Pigeons in the state of California as a result of the recently introduced legislation in the California Assembly. Assembly Bill 1729 (AB 1729) can be found at the following link:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/asm/ab_1701-1750/ab_1729_bill_20070313_introduced.html

CURRENT BILL STATUS

MEASURE : A.B. No. 1729

AUTHOR(S) : Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife (Wolk (Chair),
Maze (Vice Chair), Caballero, Huffman, Lieu, Mullin,
Nava, and Salas).

TOPIC : Fish and wildlife.

HOUSE LOCATION : ASM

TYPE OF BILL : Non-Tax Levy
Active
Non-Urgency
Non-Appropriations
Majority Vote Required
State-Mandated Local Program
Fiscal

BILL HISTORY 2007

Mar. 29 Referred to Com. on W.,P. & W.

Mar. 14 From printer. May be heard in committee April 13.

Mar. 13 Read first time. To print.

LAST HIST. ACT. DATE: 03/29/2007

LAST HIST. ACTION : Referred to Com. on W.,P. & W.

COMM. LOCATION : ASM WATER, PARKS AND WILDLIFE

HEARING DATE : 04/18/2007

We need to act NOW to prevent this legal protection for Homing pigeons from going away. Listed here find the various links to allow you to contact the California legislators (start with those who are affected by your vote, and then contact others). Those from outside of California, please contact the American Racing Pigeon Union at these numbers:

American Racing Pigeon Union
PO Box 18465
Oklahoma City, OK 73154-0465
Tel: 405-848-5801

http://www.pigeon.org

Karen Schuenemann
Executive Director
<augrow>

-------------------------------------------

Those within California can identify their Senate and Assembly legislators at this link:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

-------------------------------------------

The members of the Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife (who introduced the bill) are:

(chair)
Wolk, Lois mailto:Assemblymember.wolk@assembly.ca.gov
Capitol Office
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0008
(916) 319 - 2008
(916) 319 - 2108 Fax

District Office
555 Mason Street
Suite 275
Vacaville, CA 95688
(707) 455-8025
(707) 455-0490 fax

(Vice Chair)
Bill Maze mailto:Assemblymember.maze@assembly.ca.gov

Capitol Office
State Capitol
Room 5160
Sacramento, CA 94249-0034
Phone: 916-319-2034
Fax: 916-319-2134

Visalia District Office
5959 S. Mooney Blvd
Visalia, CA 93277
Phone: 559-636-3440
Fax: 559-636-4484

Anna Caballero mailto:Assemblymember.Caballero@assembly.ca.gov

Capitol Office:
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0028
Tel: (916) 319-2028
Fax: (916) 319-2128

District Office:
100 West Alisal Street, Suite 134
Salinas, CA 93901
Tel: (831) 759-8676
Fax: (831) 759-2961

Jared Huffman mailto:Assemblymember.Huffman@assembly.ca.gov

Capitol Office:
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0006
Tel: (916) 319-2006
Fax: (916) 319-2106

District Offices:
County of Marin
3501 Civic Center Drive,
Room 412
San Rafael, CA 94903
Tel: (415) 479-4920
Fax: (415) 479-2123

50 D Street, Ste. 305
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Tel: (707) 576-2631
Fax: (707) 576-2735

Ted Lieu mailto:Assemblymember.Lieu@assembly.ca.gov

Capitol Office
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0053
(916) 319 - 2053
(916) 319 - 2153 Fax

District Office:
El Segundo Office
500 Center Street
El Segundo, CA 90245
(310) 615-3515
(310) 615-3520 fax

Gene Mullin mailto:Assemblymember.mullin@assembly.ca.gov

Capitol Office
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0019
(916) 319 - 2019
(916) 319 - 2119 Fax

District Office
1528 South El Camino Real
Suite 302
San Mateo, CA 94402
(650) 349-1900
(650) 341-4676 Fax

Pedro Nava mailto:Assemblymember.nava@assembly.ca.gov

Capitol Office:
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0035
Tel: (916) 319-2035
Fax: (916) 319-2135

District Offices:
Santa Barbara County
101 W. Anapamu Street
Suite A
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Tel: (805) 564-1649
Fax: (805) 564-1651

Ventura County
201 E. Fourth Street
Suite 209-A
Oxnard, CA 93030
Tel: (805) 483-9808
Fax: (805) 483-8182

Mary Salas mailto:Assemblymember.Salas@assembly.ca.gov

Capitol Office:
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0079
Tel: (916) 319-2079
Fax: (916) 319-2179

District Office:
678 Third Avenue, Suite 105
Chula Vista, CA 91910
Tel: (619) 409-7979
Fax: (619) 409-9270

Some excerpts from the proposed legislation include:

(1  Existing law makes it a misdemeanor to take any Antwerp or homing pigeon.
_________________
when all is done that is asked from me and I can fly no higher, I pray this day his hand extends to welcome home a flyer.

BW

[BrokenWing]

Another lost Racing Pigeon
The other day we were standing by the concrete mixer and this pigeon wandered up to us. Very odd. He had a good look around what we were doing and then took up a supervisory position nearby and watched our every move. This amused us no end, we popped some bird seed down for him and dave then proceeded to see how close he could get to him. Vern followed us around all afternoon, walking over newly laid patio stones and through wet mortar.

I finally managed to get the number on his little ankle bracelet and we've found out he is a Racing pigeon from Holland whos been blown over! We've been instructed to not feed him as otherwise he wont want to leave and so in a couple of days he will head back home.

For now he sits and watches our every move, and occasionally pecks at wet mortar (he wont do that for long)

Read the Story here.
http://www.angieanddave.com/june05_001.htm

[BrokenWing]

Thursday, November 08, 2007
Re-homing the Homing Pigeon
This beautiful racing pigeon arrived here on August 28th and has been here ever since. We called it 'Grace the Race', despite also referring to it as 'him'. He'd go for a day or two but kept coming back; more lately he had taken to sitting on the back doorstep 24-7 always waiting for the bird table and seed feeders to be topped up. Once or twice he ventured into the bird bath round the other side of the house but was much happier with a water-filled frisbie on the back doorstep. It seemed increasingly obvious that he wasn't able to find his way home, and that he was becoming even more vulnerable to predators since taking to camping out on the back doorstep rather than sitting on the roof of the house opposite. The poor little thing was in pigeon limbo with no shelter, no flock, and no pecking order of which to be a part, though he had enjoyed the week of September 10th, when another racing pigeon arrived in the garden and when they'd hung out together. He doesn't seem to be recognised as a pigeon or dove by the resident woodpigeons or collared doves, and the indifference is mutual so he's been a lonely little bird.

His owner, eventually traced through the Royal Pigeon Racing Association via the numbers on his leg ring, turned out to live in Wrexham. The pigeon is young and was one of his best, he said; it had been released in Chepstow and should have returned to Wrexham the same day. Hadn't got very far, having only reached Monmouth. He regretted that he didn't want the bird back because it would cost too much in carriage, and because he had no room for a bird which he thought must have lost its homing instinct by now - if we returned it, he would only have to kill it... he also didn't want us to take it to the vet as he wasn't willing to pay vet fees for a bird he didn't want... but if we could find a pigeon fancier who would give it space, then he'd gladly transfer ownership.

The vet supplied the name of a couple who take in lost and injured birds of all varieties, and who also keep racing pigeons. Best of all, they live less than a mile down the road and said they would be very happy to take Grace. This morning I caught him, for the first and only time - and was quite surprised to be able to feel the little beating heart against the palm of my hand, so tiny it must be. I put him into a box, but there wasn't really any need as he did not struggle or try to fly away and is still very tame despite being absent from the loft for quite so long. We took him to his new home, which was a delight - one would never suspect from the front of the house what a riot of bird and animal life existed at the back! There were six dogs, though I think only four belonged to the household, and a garden filled with aviaries full of exotic birds, and at least two lofts full of racing pigeons. In the conservatory was a green parrot and two large dogs, one on a table being groomed, the other waiting... Jim never kills a racing pigeon, even if it's a dud. He liked Grace and said he seemed fine and should do well with a bit of time and pigeon company, and he'd take up the transfer of ownership. Grace would be quarantined for a while and then moved in with some of the other birds...and they would all live happily ever after.
http://julietpain.blogspot.com/

Another Racing Pigeon Owner turns his back unto his bird.