Warning about releasing pet birds
A Timaru bird rescuer has spent a month rescuing a flock of domesticated pigeons forced to fend for themselves after being part of a ‘‘symbolic release’’ at Timaru Cemetery.
Zena Guthrie said 12 pigeons had found their way to her in a sick and malnourished state.
‘‘They’re domesticated birds who have no idea how to get home,’’ Guthrie said.
‘‘They’re not meant to be wild, they need to be fed and looked after.’’
Guthrie discovered 12 birds, which resembled doves, had been part of a ‘‘symbolic release’’ at a funeral after watching a video on social media late last year. She said her efforts to contact those linked to the post had failed to uncover who sold or hired out the pets for the funeral.
‘‘They were released on December 21, it wasn’t until a day after that I got the first one which turned up at someone’s house.
‘‘The second one turned up a day later on someone’s window sill then I managed to get 10 on Saturday night who were roosted on the roof of a house.’’
Guthrie said she had the help of about five people to retrieve the birds on Saturday evening.
All the birds had now been wormed and treated for parasites, she said.
‘‘For me, the video was heartbreaking because they looked so confused.
‘‘It may look pretty but in the bigger picture, you’re putting these birds at risk.
‘‘I’ve typically only seen it in the movies, and I hoped that was where it stayed.’’ Guthrie implored those thinking of releasing ‘‘doves’’ at a funeral: ‘‘don’t do it’’.
‘‘Don’t do it because you are putting their lives at risk, they are domestic birds.
‘‘I have got them now and I am hoping to find new homes for them.’’
‘‘They’re not meant to fend for themselves so to put them in this situation, it’s cruelty.’’