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Veronika Shchigiel, Ph.D
Recently, a neighbor contacted my husband, Arthur, and I was very concerned. In his yard, between the slope and the garbage cans, the pigeon lived for three days and three nights. My neighbor fed him seed and provided him with a little shoe box, hoping the rats wouldn’t attack.
Knowing that we are outdoor animal lovers, he asked us for help. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that, as a resident of Brooklyn, pigeons are not high on my list of favorite birds. However, I remembered the parable of the Good Samaritan. Would I be like the Levite or the priest who passed by someone who was suffering? I sighed knowing the bird would be coming home with us.
Arthur picked up an old cat carrier and caught the bird easily. It seems that the pigeon is used to being held by people. He had a mark on his leg. Perhaps he was like a prodigal son ready to return home.
A week-long saga has begun to bring back the lost pigeon. We knew from the identification on his band that he was a racing pigeon. Unfortunately, since thousands of balls are produced each year by several racing clubs, it can be difficult to find the exact owner.
We were advised to release the bird in a nearby park, but when we released it, it did not fly and crashed into the grass. So we decided to cold call the first person that came up when we googled “pigeon racers in brooklyn”. Fortunately, Mr. Joe Green happily adopted this little lost pigeon into his flock of 300 racing pigeons at Brighton Beach.
Arthur and I drove the pigeon to Joe’s house. He carefully examined the bird and said it was a healthy female. However, its previous owner had plucked a lot of feathers from its wings and it was unable to fly.
Such heavy feather removal was not typical of pigeon racers. The good news is that he should have grown that fur back before the new year. Compared to the prodigal son, this bird was similar to the one in the Old Testament when Joseph was thrown into a well and sold into slavery by his brothers. Joseph became second in command in Egypt. So this bird would fly away with proper love and care.
And we knew Joe, a former NYPD cop, would take the best care of her. He was a very charming gentleman with a great laugh and an even bigger heart.
To the pigeon, Joe is not just a guardian, but a guardian angel. I believe that God will send the right people in due time to renew our faith in him and to reveal his saving grace to even the smallest of creatures.
As a Catholic, I understand that God works within us and within others to heal this broken world. As a New Yorker, I have come to respect the humble pigeon a little more.
Veronika Shchigiel, Ph.D., is Associate Director of Online Learning at Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education.
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