Goal: Stop racing pigeons for sport and profit.

These birds are raised DOMESTICALLY, by humans, then driven hundreds of miles away from the only home they have known.  Away from their families, mates and food source….only to be BET ON to see which ones frantically make it home alone, and in which order.  They battle predators, starvation, and climate they have never had to endure.  All for the amusement of humans.

Racing pigeons is a cruel and unnecessary pastime that should not be allowed as a “sport.” Pigeons are expected to fly up 500 miles as fast as possible in a single racing season. Birds that do not measure up are systematically culled (killed), and many reports have surfaced of owners snapping the necks of under-performing pigeons or shooting them if they don’t return to the loft. In addition, once a male and female pigeon have bonded, the female is taken from the loft in a disgusting practice referred to as widowing. The separated female will fly faster and push herself harder to return to her mate.

It is commonplace and considered acceptable to lose 10 percent of pigeons in a single race, though some races have claimed the lives of many more. Some estimates say up to 75 percent of pigeons have been lost. In 2020, the South African Million Dollar Pigeon Race lost over 870 birds in the grueling journey these birds are forced to endure for human monetary profit. Because the pigeons are raised in captivity, they are easy prey for predators and are unable to forage for themselves in the wild. Some simply succumb to exhaustion, heat stroke, or dehydration.

These birds should not be forced to perform and die for human entertainment or profit. Sign this petition to stop pigeon racing.