Guest Post by Cynthia Bardouka-Large

TRIGGER WARNING: Disturbing images in this article.

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A troubling call came through the Palomacy phone line Friday evening.

Someone had spread seeds on the ground near the Linda Mar Safeway in Pacifica. The pigeons there are friendly and trusting, and often fed and cared for by members of the community. But this time, when the hungry birds came down to eat, they were violently attacked. Several dead birds were bludgeoned or stomped to death, their bodies scattered around the parking lot.

One survivor was huddled, hurt and frightened, under a car, where some kind humans found her, and took the time to rescue her. Lucy, as they named her, had suffered a compound fracture to her wing, and a broken leg. A compound fracture is tricky – it needs to be pinned and infection is always a risk. Severe wing injuries often result in the loss of flight, and sometimes the wing needs to be amputated.

But here’s the thing. Lucy is currently at the Medical Center for Birds, and the excellent team there feels that with surgery and careful rehabbing, Lucy will survive and, incredibly, may even fly again. The pigeons who have made their home in the Linda Mar shopping center have been badly betrayed by a sick individual. Pacifica police are investigating and this may not be an isolated incident.

In the face of so much cruelty, helping Lucy heal feels incredibly important to us – and we know that you care deeply about pigeons and that you understand. It would be nice to see compassion win this one.

This plan of treatment will be expensive. Lucy’s surgery estimate is $3k – $4k. But there’s a chance for her to make a full recovery!  She will never be releasable, but the people who found and rescued her have offered her a home once she is ready. Lucy needs heroes like her rescuers, and she needs heroes like you to heal from the cruel attack that killed her friends and nearly took her life.

UPDATE!

 

 

Lucy was successfully brought through the tricky surgery to pin the compound fracture and set her leg. Thank you so much to Dr. Vixie and the team at the Medical Center for Birds for giving her the chance to fly again. She has a long road ahead of her and as you can imagine, this surgery was expensive.

We have set up a special fundraiser for Lucy. Please donate if you are able to, and share! THANK YOU!

GO TO LUCY’S FUNDRAISER

Thank you to this incredible, compassionate, generous community! Lucy is doing so well following the surgery that so many of you stepped up to fund! She had a post surgery checkup appointment at Medical Center for Birds — they re-wrapped her leg to keep it stable while healing, and we’re hoping she can get the pins off her wing soon. Lucy is showing some salt along with the sweetness, which is a great sign. As Chava Sonnier (of Great Lakes Pigeon Rescue) always says “every pigeon is a house pigeon”!

 

Lucy got the final pin removed from her wing, and the leg wrap that was annoying her so much. She isn’t flying yet, but she has full range of motion in her wing, and she is able to glide down from the countertop to the floor. She is settling in so well in her new home — she has that “where has THIS been my whole life” attitude that feral pigeons often display when they end up being house pigeons. Enjoy these pictures of Lucy an her hero rescuer, Emma!