Pigeons are relentlessly abused in public places. This is tragic. People have forgotten that pigeons saved thousands of human lives in wartime, as messengers. 32 pigeons won the PDSA Dickin Medal, in recognition of their outstanding service and sacrifice.
This year, Prince William and Kate launched The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood to “drive awareness of, and action on, the extraordinary impact of the early years, changing what we think and do on early childhood, in order to transform society for generations to come.”
The website link is: royalfoundation.com
1. Please ask the Royal Foundation Centre to teach children to be kind to pigeons. What we teach children in the early years stays with them.
2. Ask the Prime Minister to keep his promise, made on Holocaust Memorial Day, to “fight against ALL forms of hatred and prejudice, wherever they are found”, by outlawing pigeon abuse and giving pigeons specific protection under the law.
Dear Prime Minister
Please keep your promise, made on Holocaust Memorial Day to “fight against all forms of hatred and prejudice, wherever they are found” by outlawing and stopping pigeon abuse in parks and public places, and giving pigeons full, specific protection under the Animal Welfare Sentience laws and Action Plan for Animal Welfare. It is unacceptable that pigeon abuse exists in our “Nation of Animal Lovers”.
3. Please sign and share my petition. The link is below:-
4. Hear the song, “Please be Nice to Pigeons”:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWbqyExGnGk
5. Ask your MP to protect pigeons, specifically, under the Animal Welfare Sentience laws and Action Plan for Animal Welfare, at:-
writetothem.com
6. Read how Winkie, a WW2 carrier pigeon, saved lives.
In February 1942, a badly damaged RAF bomber crashed into the North Sea, more than 100 miles from home.
Struggling in freezing waters, and unable to radio an accurate position back to base, the four airmen faced a cold and lonely death. But as the aircraft went down, the crew had managed to salvage their secret weapon - a carrier pigeon, named Winkie. Winkie was set free in the hope she could fly home to her loft in Broughty Ferry, near Dundee, and alert air base colleagues to their predicament.
During World War II, carrier pigeons were routinely carried by planes, ships and submarines for this very eventuality.
Winkie did make it home, after flying for 120 miles, and was discovered, exhausted and covered in oil by her owner, George Ross, who immediately informed the RAF in Fife.
Winkie was not carrying a message, but the RAF were able to calculate the position of the aircraft using the time difference between the plane's ditching and the arrival of the bird - taking into account the wind direction and the impact of the oil on Winkie's feathers to her flight speed. A rescue was launched, and the airmen were found in 15 minutes.
Winkie became the toast of the air base, with a dinner held in her honour. She was the first animal to receive the Dickin Medal for "delivering a message under exceptional difficulties". Winkie is shown in the photo above.
Over 60 animals have received the Dickin Medal, including 18 dogs, three horses and one cat. But pigeons still rule, with 32 being awarded medals, between 1943 and 1949.
Please ask the royal British Legion to honour pigeons’ heroic wartime role in their annual Remembrance Commemorations. This would give pigeons a far better public image.
https://www.britishlegion.org.uk
Thank you.