Why this Cause Matters to Me
by Lisa Mundis
Lisa Mundis has helped move Kern Country Cemetery’s Board of Directors to ban “dove release” ceremonies on the grounds, and we hope this is the first of many cemeteries to choose compassion over a cruel “tradition”. This is her statement about why she did it. Thank you, Lisa! CBL
Let’s end harmful “traditions” like bird, butterfly, and balloon releases!
As the District Manager of the Kern County Cemetery District No.1, my decision to end the practice of releasing doves and other birds at funeral services was deeply personal. Long before I became a cemetery manager, my life was shaped by a profound love and respect for animals.
For as long as I can remember, I have felt a responsibility to protect creatures that cannot speak for themselves, although my parents did not appreciate me dragging every stray animal home from the field behind our house! That commitment has influenced countless decisions throughout my life. About fifteen years ago, I stopped eating animals because I could no longer reconcile my love for them with participating in practices that caused them harm. Since then, animal welfare has remained one of the guiding principles by which I live.
This is less than one week’s worth of “I found a white bird” calls to Palomacy’s phone help line.
That commitment extends beyond personal choices. Over the years, I have dedicated time and resources to rescuing stray and abandoned animals, including my efforts to save birds where I work, I have also been involved in efforts to manage and care for feral cat colonies on our grounds through a humane trap-neuter-return program. To some, these may seem like small acts, but for me they reflect a simple belief: every living creature deserves compassion.
When I learned more about the fate of many birds used in ceremonial releases, I was heartbroken. What is often intended as a beautiful symbolic gesture can result in confusion, exhaustion, predation, injury, or death for the birds involved. Many people who choose these releases do so out of love and with the best of intentions, unaware of the risks the animals may face afterward.
Just a few of the recent “I found a white bird” posts in the Palomacy Facebook Help Group. Dove releases kill.
As a cemetery manager, I am entrusted with helping families honor their loved ones with dignity and respect. I believe that compassion should extend not only to the families we serve, but also to the animals affected by the traditions we permit. Once I understood the risks associated with bird releases, I felt a responsibility to act. Eliminating the practice at our cemeteries was not a difficult decision. It was consistent with the values that have guided me throughout my life.
The work of organizations like Palomacy that rescue and rehabilitate released birds is especially meaningful to me because they address the unseen consequences of a tradition many people never question. They provide care, refuge, and second chances to birds that often become innocent victims of human ceremony.
For me, supporting this cause is simply another expression of a believe I have held my entire life: compassion should never be selective. The measure of our humanity is often found in how we treat the most vulnerable among us, and that includes the animals that share our world.
Compassionate policies honor the living and the dead.
Read more:
Dove Releases: A Plea to Cemeteries and Funeral Directors
Help Spread the Word: Dove Releases Kill
