Hanks - Hurt and Huddled on the Freeway Shoulder
From All-Creatures.org Animal Rights/Vegan Activist Strategies Articles Archive

FROM Palomacy: It's Pigeon Diplomacy
March 2021

Our souls are all the same, doing the best we can in the bodies we’re given to live in this big, hard, beautiful world. Hanks thanks you and Palomacy does too. Together we have saved her life.

Pigeon Hanks
I circled back to pick up this pigeon stranded next to the freeway...

February 16th, I was on my way to adopter Cynthia’s home in Benicia to help her and care coordinator Jill set up an emergency aviary for 15 dumped Roller pigeons Cynthia had rescued. I was late and traveling too fast to pull all the way over when I saw a pigeon standing motionless on the shoulder. I know that posture means help is needed and so I took the next exit and circled back, hoping she’d still be alive when I came back around.

I was relieved to find her and took this quick photo from the driver’s seat before going to grab her. She was standing motionless, hunched, both eyes closed and bloody, passing cars ruffling her feathers. I came up quietly, brought both hands close around on either side of her and then grabbed fast and hung on.

Pigeon Hanks

Sometimes a pigeon needing rescue is too weak to even try to get away but not always. I knew she might rocket out of my grasp if I didn’t get a good hold and I was right. As soon as my hands closed around her, she exploded into a launch but I held on and got her into the car. I felt terrible grabbing and scaring her but had to to help her. Despite the burst of strength, she was badly hurt and I called Medical Center for Birds to ask if they could please fit another bird into their already booked solid schedule. They said, Yes and when I texted Cynthia and Jill they said, Go!

Medical Center for Birds needed a name and I dubbed her Hank. (I’ve since refined it to Hanks.) I wasn’t sure she’d survive the 45 minute drive but she did. Dr. Tino Luehman met us in the parking lot and took her in (socially distanced vetting). Later that evening, Dr. Luehman let me know that Hanks had a lacerated crop in addition to the head trauma....

 

Please read the ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE WITH LOTS OF PICTURES (PDF).

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