Report by Animals United e.V.

Hardly anyone takes any notice of their suffering …

Homeless, picking garbage and sometimes with their feet tied up, they paddle through our streets.
Niches, walls and protrusions prepared with pointed spikes and nets make their nesting places inaccessible and rare.
Hungry around cafes and snack bars, they are chased away or even kicked away.

The city pigeon is a hated “pest” – the “rat of the air” and “building polluter”, whose population density – from the point of view of the cities – must be reduced by all possible means.

Did you know that city pigeons are feral “domestic animals” whose genetic predisposition makes them eternally dependent and dependent on human support and food?

Urban feeding bans turn generous pigeon friends into “criminals” as soon as they resisted because they can’t stand the sight of hungry birds.
To meet a city pigeon picking up vomit in its famine is unbearable and shameful.
Injured, sick birds and lost young animals are left to their own devices – they need our help so urgently.

The cooing beauties live among us – shape the cityscape … As fellow creatures, they are almost omnipresent.
Animal “fellow citizens” who are forced through human breeding efforts to colonize cities and seek our proximity. Yet many cities shirk their responsibility and ignore hunger and suffering.

Giving homeless birds a home: The German city of Augsburg is a concept pioneer and built twelve supervised dovecotes for its city pigeons, some of which are operated in old attics.

Dovecote in Augsburg – train station

The lofts offer adequate nesting places, feed and also reduce the unpopular populations of pigeons in town squares, as the animals spend most of their time in the dovecotes and consequently leave less droppings in undesirable places.

Targeted “birth control” can also be carried out by animal rights activists within the dovecotes, who replace the clutch with mock-ups.

No more ignorance of hunger and suffering!
We demand shelter for all city pigeons in the country.
We call on all German cities and municipalities to offer city pigeons based on the “Augsburg Model” nationwide, species-appropriate, safe pigeon lofts and a constant feed supply.

City pigeons are human-bred, feral “domestic animals” whose protection and welfare is our responsibility.

Animals United e.V. – For animal rights. Because pity is not enough!

And I mean…In an effort to find an animal welfare-friendly solution, a city pigeon concept was developed in Augsburg, which is essentially based on the establishment of supervised pigeon lofts.
The animals get food and water in the dovecote, are looked after by a veterinarian and have sufficient nesting opportunities.
Reproduction is regulated by exchanging the eggs for plastic eggs.

Very few cities have followed this good example.
At the same time, the shameful ban on pigeon feed applies throughout Germany.
Only in Berlin the feeding of pigeons is not forbidden, unlike in other big cities.

I was never interested in the ban.
And I find it very racist to call pigeons “rats of the air”, as if rats were the last mud.
Since the Corona time I have been feeding three large colonies in my city.
Over time I have developed methods that have saved me from getting caught – I’ve never been caught, although all three places are very central.

I think … if you are afraid to feed a few pigeons because you think you will get caught, you will not create anything else useful for the animals.

My best regards to all, Venus