By Cynthia Bardouka-Large
Dear friends,
Looking back on 2025 as the year draws to a close, what really stands out to us is…YOU.
Palomacy began when one compassionate heart saw a need and did something about it. The movement Elizabeth started has grown because of compassionate people like yourself. So much happens behind the scenes, with volunteers who work quietly and often alone. We want to take a moment to celebrate all of you! You are Palomacy!
Palomacy is the phone-line team, who answer calls at all hours, confronting sometimes difficult and stressful situations, coaching people on how to be a hero to a bird who has no one else.
Palomacy is the team of moderators who guide our Facebook help group, fielding queries and requests for help from all over the world. They make sure that the advice given is accurate, that our best practices are widely shared, and that people are treated with civility and kindness.
Palomacy is our transport volunteers, who will drop everything to go pick up a bird in distress and get them to help.
Palomacy is our outreach volunteers, who show up in cities and towns and stores and festivals around Northern California, sharing our pigeon-positive message with the help of our amazing ambassador birds.
Palomacy is our seasoned coaches, who encourage and inspire new people to open their hearts and homes to pigeons and doves in need.
Palomacy is our foster homes, who say yes when we need somewhere to put a new intake and the aviaries are all full.
Palomacy is our experienced medical foster caregivers, who will stay up with a sick bird, tube feeding, medicating, driving to vet appointments.
Palomacy is our adopters, who make the commitment to being a lucky bird’s happily ever after.
Palomacy is the kindness of the veterinarians who take on our most difficult cases and give us a rescue discount.
Palomacy is our people who contribute and edit photos and videos, flyers, and graphics to create beautiful, effective messaging.
Palomacy is our board members who give their time and thoughtful care in making the big decisions.
Palomacy is our web volunteer who knows or can figure out dozens of platforms and plugins, and who goes down one rabbit hole after another, always coming up with a solution and somehow keeping all the plates spinning.
Palomacy is our Care Director who says yes to new intakes, triages and arranges medical care, stays up late and wakes up early to care for our most vulnerable birds, all while managing our adoptions, matching people with birds and keeping up with them, offering support and guidance long after the adoption is finalized.
And Palomacy is our donors, who make it possible for all of the people described above to come together to save lives every day. With this critical support we are able to help birds who would otherwise have no chance.
Your compassion and dedication make Palomacy possible, and together we are changing things in big ways and small. Zoom in, and you’ll see an individual bird whose fortunes have changed entirely because of the dedication of Palomacy’s people. Zoom out and you can see the public perception of these birds shifting. How many pigeon rescue organizations were there in 2007? And how many are there now? This big beautiful movement is growing by the day — and you are making it happen!
Thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts.
Cynthia
