While our adopters love their pigeons and doves, it is not easy getting the birds adopted. Many people would be thrilled to have a backyard aviary but most don’t know how to go about creating one and buying pre-made enclosures can be tricky. They can be expensive, too small, unsafe, ill-designed (see our recommendations here). So, after years of grappling with this barrier, we are exploring a brand new way of overcoming it.

Last month, with the help of our friend Nancy Powell, an expert in both building and bird rescue, our aviary panel kit #1 was created. It is designed specifically for the needs of Palomacy’s fosters and adopters and it’s wonderful!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had the pleasure of putting the aviary panel kit together Saturday on the backyard deck of adopters Roxanne & Jeff. It is built from sixteen 3′ x 6′ panels that are easy to transport, easy to assemble and easy to finish with aviary furnishings (such as bird feet-friendly flooring, partial siding & roof, shelves, nest boxes, etc.). Using all the panels, it creates a safe, secure, pigeon or dove-friendly enclosure that is 9′ x 6′ x 6′ ( a good size for up to 8 pigeons or 16 doves). Thanks to the modular panel design, it can easily be reconfigured into a smaller size (or expanded) or disassembled and relocated if needed. The cost to buy it: $950.

We are so excited about this potentially game-changing strategy to increase adoptions. (And adoptions do need to be increased! There are a lot of beautiful, innocent, easy-to-love birds in need of homes. More than we are able to keep up with at our current rate.)

Aviary panel kit #2 is going to be built to help farmed animal sanctuary Animal Place begin to help rescued King Pigeons (survivors of the squab industry and inhumane “releases”) to be adopted. This partnership, bringing together little Palomacy’s unique expertise in caring for and placing King Pigeons with Animal Place’s far greater depth of experience and range of resources, is a huge step forward on the road to saving more lives of these overlooked and under-served birds. (Read more: Palomacy & Animal Place Working Together to Help King Pigeons)

Founded in 1989, Animal Place’s California animal shelters fills a much-needed niche of farm animal rescue, sanctuary, education and adoption. Animal Place is one of the largest and oldest animal sanctuaries in the nation. We operate a 600-acre sanctuary in Grass Valley, California, and a 60-acre animal shelter in Vacaville, California. Animal Place extends compassion to all life with a special emphasis on farmed animals. This is executed by providing permanent sanctuary, education, legislation and appropriate placement of needy animals.

So far, we’re 24% of the way towards our fundraising goal. Please click here to help us reach it.

Our hope is that not only can we make this aviary dream come true but that we can then start fundraising to build aviary panel kit #3. We already have a place for it!

And, if we are able to raise the needed funds, we plan to create loaner aviary panel kits for qualifying foster volunteers too. Also, as we get the plans written out, we will make the information- the materials lists and how-tos and videos- available for free online so that everybody can repliciate this life-saving solution for birds in need.

If you’re a Bay Area builder or a funder who’d be interested in helping with this life-saving project, please contact Elizabeth.

And stay tuned for lots more news about this super exciting leap forward in helping pigeons get home!

Thank you for all of your support.