by johnnymarin | Jan 29, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
A company that provides dead animals for study and dissection is facing 25 charges of animal cruelty due to the way they allegedly killed the animals. If found guilty, the owners could face up to $25,000 in fines and/or up to six years in jail.
As Newsweek reported in November, the biological supply company Bio Corporation was the subject of hidden video and an investigation into their practices. The video, shown above, was secretly recorded by an undercover representative from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA. The footage showed workers at the company’s Alexandria, Minnesota, facility apparently drowning fully-conscious pigeons, injecting live crayfish with latex and claiming that they sometimes would freeze turtles to death. The complaint, The State of Minnesota vs. Bio Company BDA Bio Corporation, claims that these methods are inhumane and illegal.
The company says that most of the animals they acquire are brought to them already dead. But according to the undercover video, the company was obtaining some live animals and killing them at the facility in ways that the US Department of Agriculture consider illegal.
In a statement sent to Newsweek, Bill Wadd, co-owner of Bio-Corporation, said, “We understand that we were the subject of an undercover sting-type investigation,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, the animals observed in that investigation, including the pigeons and the crayfish, put our operation in a bad light.”
PETA took the video to the local police department, and then to a district judge, who insisted that the Alexandria police investigate. Newsweek published the footage on November 21, 2017, and the following day the Alexandria Police Department sent a detective to interview the owners of Bio Corporation and investigate the facility. The Alexandria Police Department did not immediately respond to an interview request for this article.
Officials reviewed the complaint, the affidavit from the undercover witness of the alleged abuse, the video and testimony from the detective who visited the facility. On December 29, 2017, they filed 25 misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty, specifically regarding treatment of the crayfish and pigeons, against the company.
Wadd said the company obtains pigeons ethically and euthanizes them humanely. Situated in an agricultural area, Bio Corporation collects pigeons from people who legally kill or capture them in order to protect their avian livestock, like turkeys, chickens, ducks and geese from diseases that pigeons can spread. The pigeons are usually dead when they get there, but sometimes the workers kill them, according to Wadd.
“We have a policy to euthanize these birds with gas but actually water submersion is a better and arguably more humane method because of the short time necessary to complete the process,” Wadd wrote.
Wadd said that the birds die after only 10 to 20 seconds. But drowning is not considered an acceptable form of euthanasia, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), because it causes unnesseary suffering. The AVMA has standards of humane euthanasia that legally must be followed by certain USDA-certified companies such as Bio Corporation.
“That said, we are using the gas now because of the complaint,” Wadd added. He also wrote that they intend to order only dead crayfish from now on.
Representatives for the company are due in court on January 31, 2018. They continue to sell pigeons online for between $9.85 and $12.15 each.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Jan 28, 2018 | Pigeon Patrol's Services
Wattle seeds, along with those of gorse and broom, are popular with bronzewing pigeons, which will often be seen on the ground underneath these plants in late summer.
Pigeons are able to break down the extremely hard outer shell of the seeds to make use of the nutrients inside.
Currawongs, on the other hand, regurgitate wattle seeds and other indigestible matter in the form of pellets.
The pigeons have a digestive system that uses small stones in the gizzard to grind the seeds.
These perform a similar function to teeth.
A currawong’s digestive system is not able to crush such seeds.
As far as wattle seeds are concerned, the currawongs seem to eat only blackwoods, which apparently contain some nutrient in the red outer “funicle” surrounding the hard black seed that the birds seek out.
The blackwood seeds are thus spread by currawongs, but not by pigeons.
Most wattles, like the blackwood, form their seeds three or four months after spring flowering, but there are a few that take twelve months.
The wirilda and the lightwood are two others producing mature seeds twelve months after flowering.
These three wattle species produce their flowers later in the season than most others.
The bronzewings will feed underneath the wattles, gorse and broom for several months.
Because of their hard casing, wattle seeds can be viable for 20 years or more after falling.
LEADEN FLYCATCHER
A scarce and irregular small bird visitor to the Ballarat region is the leaden flycatcher, named for the lead-grey colour of the male.
A pair nesting at Brown Hill have attracted a lot of interest.
In appearance both the male and the female leaden flycatcher are very similar to the male and female satin flycatchers. At Brown Hill the two species are living close together, so the differences between the two can be more clearly appreciated.
The status of the leaden flycatcher in the Ballarat region is not clear.
It has visited and nested a few times, but perhaps it is a regular but un-noticed visitor here in small numbers, missed because of its similarity to the more common satin flycatcher.
The habitats of the two are usually different, with the leaden flycatcher preferring drier sites than the gully-loving satin.
Fortunately, the Brown Hill birds are nesting at about 10 metres high, and are relatively unperturbed by the photographers and observers.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Jan 27, 2018 | Animal Deterrent Products
ECHUCA’S pigeon problem seems to be worsening with the Campaspe College of Adult Education now undertaking drastic action to restore their building and rid themselves of the bothersome birds.
General manager Karen Hagan has resulted to installing spikes to the entire heritage building at the cost of approximately $4000 and admits that it is only the beginning of the College’s attempts to rid themselves of the fowls.
‘‘We tried other things that haven’t worked,’’ she said.
‘‘We’ve tried a few spikes before, an eagle which was meant to scare the pigeons and a drone.
‘‘Now it’s time to take some permanent action.’’
The feathered frenemy fiasco is creating a huge number of issues for the college and the surrounding buildings with roof damage leading to water leakages, paint on the buildings and cars needing to be fixed and the guttering has been significantly affected. In total, Ms Hagan estimates that the costs will continue to climb.
‘‘It could literally be another $25,000 just to restore the building back to what it was,’’ she said.
‘‘We’ve tried to claim it on insurance but nothing has gone through.
‘‘We will need a new verandah and our walls fixed.
‘‘The damage is extensive.’’
By the end of next week Ms Hagan hopes the many thousands of spikes across the building will be installed and the gutters will be cleared – but this work is only the beginning of the damage control.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Jan 26, 2018 | Bird Deterrent Products
On Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st January 2018, the Royal Pigeon Racing Association will celebrate the 46th British Homing World Show of the Year at The Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
The British Homing World Show of the Year is the largest of its kind in Europe. Pigeon Fanciers from across the UK will flock to Blackpool with over 2,000 homing pigeons.
This year, the exhibition even boasts 120 trade stands for the attendees.
The event has been held at Winter Gardens in the iconic Empress Ballroom for 41 years and this year it is expected to be hugely popular.
Ian Evans, General Manager of the RPRA comments: “2018 marks the 46th anniversary of the show. This is a huge event in our calendar and it always proves to be popular amongst attendees. Pigeon racing is not simply just a hobby for the fancying community. For many, the past time helps people to stay active and social. The population of pigeon fanciers is made up of those from all different backgrounds and the event is a great chance for our members to enjoy a weekend away together. It is such a delight to host such an amazing show and gather our members and their birds all in one place providing them the opportunity of companionship and friendship.”
Aside from the enjoyment it produces for the pigeon fanciers, the show itself also generates £10 million for the local economy and has contributed nearly £3 million for various charities.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by johnnymarin | Jan 25, 2018 | Pigeons in the News
It seems like this bird is the hardest avian party-goer ever: the morning after New Year’s Eve celebrations, it was found resting its forehead against the rear window of a car.
On New Year’s Day, a resident of Vladikavkaz, Russia, walked to his car to find a pigeon asleep on his rear window. The man spoke to the bird gently, as though talking to a friend the morning after the excesses of New Year. “Hey, bro! Wake up, bro! Are you alright?” he asked the pigeon. Several seconds later, the pigeon finally came to senses and flew away.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
