From Monday 9 April 2018, it will be an offence to feed pigeons in Waterlooville Town Centre and doing so could result in being issued with a fixed penalty notice for £80.
A Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) is being introduced in the area as pigeons are causing significant problems for shoppers, businesses and residents of flats in Waterlooville Precinct.
Pigeons – that are awaiting food – have been roosting on residential balconies that surround the precinct despite preventative measures such as netting, sound boxes, spikes and decoy birds of prey being introduced. These pigeons have impacted the quality of life in the area and have effectively prevented residents from using their balconies and opening their windows.
Local businesses and cafés are also suffering and are frequently having to clear pigeons mess off tables and chairs.
Sophia Goodwin from JDI Property Holdings, who manage a block of flats in the precinct, said: “Pigeons are the number one problem for our residents. We have invested a considerable amount into preventative measures for the building, however our residents are still suffering. We hope this extra measure will improve the situation”.
Councillor Tony Briggs, Deputy Leader of the Council, said: “The problem of pigeons is of real concern to residents of local flats and it’s not fair that people have to live like this. By preventing individuals from feeding them, we hope we will reduce their numbers and the associated impact on businesses and residents.
“Our officers have spoken to a number of individuals feeding pigeons asking them to stop and explaining the associated impact. Local businesses have approached people feeding pigeons and signage in the area and a wider media campaign has been rolled out. Despite these effort individuals continue to regularly feed pigeons leaving us no other option but to follow the PSPO route”.
By limiting available food, the number of pigeons at the precinct is expected to decline with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Pigeon Control Advisory Service (PiCAS) advising this as best practice.
Pigeon activity causes ill-effects on the local community with:
buildings being covered in fouling which looks unpleasant, can smell and projects a poor image of a business and the area
bird droppings are acidic and can corrode or erode building materials
nesting materials birds use can block chimneys, flues and guttering, causing possible issues with carbon monoxide and damage to buildings as water overflows from blocked gutters
birds carry a variety of diseases such as Ornithosis, Listeria and Ecoli that can be transmitted to humans not only from the droppings but also the birds themselves. When dry, pigeon droppings can become airborne in small particles, which can lead to respiratory complaints such as psittacosis.
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.
Sussex Police have arrested two people for criminal damage offences.
Police received reports of two people near Railway Approach, East Grinstead, on Tuesday 13 March allegedly shooting pigeons on the roof with catapults. Officers attended the scene and arrested both suspects.
A 21-year-old man of no fixed address was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, conspiracy to destroy or damage a property and having an article with intent to destroy or damage property.
A 17-year-old boy of Edenbridge, Kent, was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage, conspiracy to destroy or damage a property and having an article with intent to destroy or damage property.
Both have been released under investigation and the investigation continues.
Anyone with information is asked to report online or call 101 quoting reference Operation Compound.
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.
The days of Redruth residents being aerially bombarded by pooing pigeons are now over after a ‘humane’ solution was found.
Last year it was reported that one fed-up resident complained how the pooing birds were putting lives at risk.
The Bond Street Railway Bridge, adjacent to Alma Place, has been a popular nesting place for pigeons for a number of years and the birds living there could regularly be seen splattering the pavement below and those who dared walk by.
A local man, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “They nest under the bridge and poo on the pavement, street signs and pedestrian crossing push buttons.
“People are at risk of health from infection from the faeces and, in wet weather, slipping on the pigeon mess, which is slippery, and they could end up in the road and run over by passing traffic.
“So the situation is not being dealt with and only the road sweeper cleans the pavement on odd occasions.”
However it now appears a solution has finally been found, according to Redruth town councillor Mike Chappell.
He posted on his Facebook page: “RAILWAY BRIDGE PIGEON PROBLEM FINALLY SOLVED!
“The railway bridge over Bond Street, Redruth, at its junction with Station Hill, is finally clear of pigeons and the mess they make on the pavements below following the completion of a programme of works to mesh off the underside of the bridge.
“Major cleaning has been required down the years in order to ensure public safety on the pavements.
“This humane way of dealing with a longstanding environmental and public health issue followed receipt of many complaints from the public and subsequent inter agency work between Redruth Town Council, Network Rail and the Highways Department with Redruth Town Council part financing the work.”
Town and Cornwall councillor Barbara Ellenbroek said previously that following town council discussions, Network Rail revealed that it felt the issue wasn’t a health hazard and therefore if Redruth Town Council wanted to do anything it would cost in the region of £10,000 due to associated road closures.
However despite the previous concerns it appears that the issue has now been resolved.
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.
Video footage showing dozens of pigeons lying dead on the ground and others limping was released Friday by an animal rights group that secretly filmed members of the Alabama Forestry Association taking part in a live pigeon shoot.
The video, which was shot legally from a drone, shows a man taking pigeons from a cage and throwing them into the air as participants circled the field waiting to shoot. Footage taken from the ground after the event was over shows close ups of pigeons limping, crawling, as well as many dead.
“We rescued as many as we could before nightfall,” said Steve Hindi, president and founder of Showing Animals Respect & Kindness (SHARK), an animal rights group based in Illinois. “It was heartbreaking to leave knowing so many more were out there suffering. These birds are not eaten. The wounded are left to die slow, painful deaths from their wounds, predation or starvation.”
“The people from the Alabama Forestry Association aren’t hunters – they’re sociopaths,” added Hindi.
The Alabama Forestry Association, which is an education and lobbying group, did not respond to messages from AL.com asking for comment.
D.J. Schubert, a wildlife biologist at the Animal Wildlife Institute in Washington D.C., said that in these types of shoots, that have no meaningful purpose, the pigeons often experience excruciating deaths after being wounded. “Many die from infection in the worst way,” said Schubert, who used to protest live pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania. “Hunters should be worried about their image because they look like thugs. Killing defenseless animals from close range for sport is not a good look.”
SHARK first heard about the pigeon shoot after a flier was given to them advertising the event, which was aimed at raising money for the Alabama Forestry Foundation, which is the education arm of the association. Tickets cost up to $1,000 a person.
SHARK collected the pigeons from the field in West Mobile and left them on land at the Alabama Forestry Association. It’s unclear what happened to then after that.
While there are a many Alabama laws that deal with cruelty against animals, it appears as if pigeon shooting is not illegal. There are also no federal laws that prohibit pigeon shooting. There are some laws that prohibit the killing of birds, but pigeons are exempt.
“Our argument, however, is that this does violate common decency as it causes extreme cruelty to living beings and is killing just for the sake of killing,” said Hindi. “If it isn’t illegal, it certainly should be.
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.
It turns out, Rick Leimann wasn’t just driving through the water for the fun of it. He wasn’t shouting “wahoo!” as he took his truck off road. He was desperately trying to save his 300 exotic pigeons from the rising flood.
“I know in my brains…that I didn’t do the right thing,” Leimann said. “But in my heart, I did the right thing because I had to get to my birds.”
Leimann keeps four breeds of exotic pigeons. He enters them in contests similar to dog and cat shows, but for pigeons. He even judges international shows for one Indian breed he’s had particular success with over the years. With another breed, Leimann has worked for 20 years to create a color he said is unique to his pigeons. Leimann’s pigeons aren’t just any old birds. After he took an interest in his neighbor’s pigeons as a boy, he said his parents bought him a pair of exotic pigeons as a confirmation gift when he was 13. He’s been raising and breeding exotic show pigeons ever since, for 41 years.
“If the water got in here, I couldn’t replace the breed I have. That’s why I had to get in here,” Leimann said. “Besides, I love them as my kids. They’re living animals, and I would sacrifice myself for my animals.”
While Leimann enjoys keeping the exotic pigeons as a hobby, he acknowledged it can look like a business, too. Buyers from the Middle East or China are sometimes willing to pay thousands of dollars for a show-winning bird. Leimann said he once sold a Grand National winner for $10,000.
Leimann was working on another sale Sunday morning as the flood waters rose. He’d been out at his Sayler Park boathouse (he owns a boat service business) checking on things at about 7 a.m. When he left, he estimated there was a foot or so of water on the road. No problem for his Ford F-150 pickup truck with 20 inch tires.
But Leimann lost track of the time. He ate breakfast while negotiating a pigeon sale. He had picked out some birds for a Chinese buyer while judging a show in Bahrain. Two or three hours went by. The Ohio River was just a few hours away from cresting at its highest point since 1997. When Leimann returned to the boathouse, the water had risen several more feet.
Leimann was worried about his birds. He wanted to move them upstairs. He didn’t realize how much deeper the water had gotten, he said.
“I thought I’d be all right,” he said.
At first, briefly, it was all right. But as the water rose higher and higher around the truck, Leimann figured it was already too late to stop. The water was coming over the hood. He pressed the gas in an effort to push through, but then the truck hit a boat trailer that was hidden under the murky water. It blew one of his tires and stopped the truck’s forward momentum.
“What made me realize I really messed up here is that, when the truck stopped, I’m bouncing, I’m floating like a piece of Styrofoam,” he said. “And water started coming in. I’m looking around the truck like, ‘What to do?'”
The truck was dead. Water was pooling around Leimann’s feet. He couldn’t get the door open.
“I’m sitting here and I’m looking around and I’m thinking, ‘Try to focus. Don’t panic,'” he said.
But the water continued to rise in the truck. Luckily, the window was open. When the water was up to his lap, Leimann took off his shoes (his grandpa taught him they’d weigh him down swimming), put his wallet in his mouth and slipped feet-first out the window.
Outside, Leimann clung to the door. The 6-foot-3 man was in chest-deep water. He could feel the current pulling the truck toward the harbor.
“When I came out I thought, ‘Man, I’m really in trouble,'” he said.
Leimann tried to pull the truck forward onto the dry land, but it wouldn’t budge. Soaking wet and barefoot, he ran for his Bobcat and an anchor rope. He tried to tow the truck with the Bobcat, and was able to pull the truck over the trailer. But a utility pole was in the way. He tied the other end of the rope to his gate and went inside to check on his birds and dry off.
“It scared me,” Leimann said. “I’ll never drive through the water again.”
After crossing and warming up, Leimann was able to secure his birds and his customers’ boats. When the water receded, his truck was still there, but it was totaled.
As a reminder, Cincinnati police have repeatedly warned to avoid flooded roads. According to the National Weather Service, 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over a full-grown person. A foot of rushing water can carry away a small car, and 2 feet of water can float almost any SUV or pickup truck.
Leimann said he knew it was a dumb thing to do, but he’d do it again to save his birds.
“I love them like they’re my kids.”
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.
