Pigeon nettings in New York city

09-30-2007, 02:06 AM

Pigeon nettings in New York city

In Defense of Animals Offers Reward to Capture NY City Pigeon Netters

Pigeon nettings in the New York City area are becoming more aggressive and frequent. Netters working in a pair start before sunrise netting in Manhattan, the five boroughs and beyond. They have been seen in brand new SUVs, and since it is a cash-only business with no taxes paid, this appears to be a lucrative business. Pigeons are sold to out of state shooting galleries and restaurants. Although it is against the law to remove pigeons from their habitat, no one has stopped the netters from doing so. The public may unknowingly be eating pigeon meat as it may be substituted for quail, squab or even chicken. Only the New York City Board of Health has the authority to remove pigeons, or a permit or license is required from them. If you care about pigeons and justice, please contact the Mayor of New York City and demand that the appropriate action be taken.

New York, New York (PRWEB) July 13, 2007 -- For the past several months the New York Bird Club has been concerned with the matter of pigeon nettings in the New York City area. Hungry pigeons are baited by netters with food and then netted, dumped into a van and then allegedly sold to out of state pigeon shoots and restaurants as fare for the menu. The Humane Society of the US in Washington, DC has been working on the Hegins pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania for years.

Although the public has expressed sympathy, outrage and concern for pigeons and there have been eye witnesses, to date the New York Bird Club has not received any tangible information to turn over to the District Attorney's office who have expressed an interest in the case. Several individuals have attempted to file complaints with the New York Police Department, but they refused to cooperate and Incident Reports were not taken.

The New York Bird Club contacted the Civilian Complaint Revue Board to file a complaint against the New York City Police Department, but they refused to take any action. Once we can establish precisely what the law is concerning removing pigeons from their habitat, we will be standing on firmer ground. Laws concerning pigeons are ambiguous and difficult to find since pigeons are not considered native wildlife, and laws that protect wildlife do not apply to pigeons since they are not indigenous to the United States.

The government agencies we should be concerned with are New York City Department of Agriculture and Market, the Department of Environment Conservation and the New York City Department of Health. The following statutes may apply.

21 NYCRR § 9003.12 (2007)§ 9003.12 Park animals.
No person shall within any park molest, chase, wound, trap, hunt, shoot, throw missiles at, kill, remove or have in his possession any undomesticated animal, or any significant portion of the remains of any domesticated or undomesticated animal, or any nest, or the young of any undomesticated animal or the egg(s) of any undomesticated animal; or knowingly buy, receive, have in his possession, sell or give away any such undomesticated animal or egg taken from or killed within any park.

NYS Environmental law § 11-0513. Pigeons.
1. No person shall at any time, by any means or in any manner capture, kill or attempt to capture or kill any Antwerp or homing pigeon, wearing a ring or seamless leg band with its registered number stamped thereon; nor shall any person remove such mark. No person except the lawful owner shall detain, possess, or transport Antwerp or homing pigeons wearing a ring or seamless leg band with the registered number thereon.

2. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the local legislative body of any city, town or village, or in the city of New York the Department of Health may take or issue a permit to any person to take pigeons at any time and in any humane manner in such municipality, whenever such body or administration finds that pigeons within such municipality are or may become a menace to public health or a public nuisance; provided, however, that no pigeon may be taken in a manner which will endanger other animal life, persons or property.

Only cowards would shoot down a defenseless bird weighing but a few ounces with no means of escape for their amusement and egos. If you would like to put an end to the cruel matter of netting pigeons, please contact the New York Bird Club.

Update:

In Defense of Animals (IDA) is offering a REWARD of $2,500. for Information that leads to the Arrest & Conviction of a person or persons found to have netted and captured pigeons in New York City for the purpose of killing them for human or animal consumption, canned hunting or any organized sale or transfer of the birds that will lead to their death.

Eyewitnesses only must Report Information to both New York City Humane Law Enforcement at (212) 876-7700 ext. 4450 & In Defense of Animals (415) 448-0048 "The NY Bird Club alerted us to reports of large numbers of pigeons being netted in New York City in the early mornings. IDA is offering a $2,500 reward in the hope of turning up evidence to find the offender(s.)

We suspect that the birds are being transported out of state for canned hunts and even used for human consumption in local live bird markets and restaurants. We are concerned that this could eventually be a source of bird flu transmission to humans." said IDA's East Coast Director, Valerie Sicignano.

IDA Offers Reward for Capture of Pigeon Netters

For the past several months the New York Bird Club has been concerned with the matter of pigeon nettings in the New York City area. Hungry pigeons are baited by netters with food and then netted, dumped into a van and then allegedly sold to out of state pigeon shoots and restaurants as fare for the menu. The Humane Society of the US in Washington, DC has been working on the Hegins pigeon shoots in Pennsylvania for years.

Although the public has expressed sympathy, outrage and concern for pigeons and there have been eye witnesses, to date the New York Bird Club has not received any tangible information to turn over to the District Attorney's office who have expressed an interest in the situation. Several persons have attempted to file complaints with the New York Police Department, but they refused to cooperate and Incident Reports were not taken.

The New York Bird Club contacted the Civilian Complaint Revue Board to file a complaint against the New York City Police Department, but they would not accept it. Once we can establish precisely what the law is concerning removing pigeons from their habitat, we will be standing on firmer ground. Laws concerning pigeons are ambiguous and difficult to find since pigeons are not considered native wildlife, and laws that protect wildlife do not apply to pigeons since they are not indigenous to the United States.

The government agencies we should be concerned with are New York City Department of Agriculture and Market, the Department of Environment Conservation and the New York City Department of Health. The following statutes may apply.

21 NYCRR § 9003.12 (2007)§ 9003.12 Park animals.
No person shall within any park molest, chase, wound, trap, hunt, shoot, throw missiles at, kill, remove or have in his possession any undomesticated animal, or any significant portion of the remains of any domesticated or undomesticated animal, or any nest, or the young of any undomesticated animal or the egg(s) of any undomesticated animal; or knowingly buy, receive, have in his possession, sell or give away any such undomesticated animal or egg taken from or killed within any park.

NYS Environmental law § 11-0513. Pigeons.
1. No person shall at any time, by any means or in any manner capture, kill or attempt to capture or kill any Antwerp or homing pigeon, wearing a ring or seamless leg band with its registered number stamped thereon; nor shall any person remove such mark. No person except the lawful owner shall detain, possess, or transport Antwerp or homing pigeons wearing a ring or seamless leg band with the registered number thereon.

2. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the local legislative body of any city, town or village, or in the city of New York the Department of Health may take or issue a permit to any person to take pigeons at any time and in any humane manner in such municipality, whenever such body or administration finds that pigeons within such municipality are or may become a menace to public health or a public nuisance; provided, however, that no pigeon may be taken in a manner which will endanger other animal life, persons or property.

New York State Department of Environmental and Conservation Law states that all birds are entitled to protection afforded by §11-1101(1), and that this protection is also afforded to pigeons. This was conceded by the Division of Legal Affairs at NYS-DEC Albany, in a Petition For Declaratory Ruling settlement in June 2005.

Only cowards would shoot down a defenseless bird weighing but a few ounces with no means of escape for their amusement and egos. If you would like to put an end to the cruel matter of netting pigeons, please contact the New York Bird Club.

Summary:

Pigeon nettings in the New York City area are becoming more aggressive and frequent. Netters working in a pair start before sunrise netting in Manhattan, the five boroughs and beyond. They have been seen in brand new SUVs, and since it is a cash-only business with no taxes paid, this appears to be a lucrative business.

Continued

Arty

09-30-2007, 02:07 AM

Pigeons are sold to out of state shooting galleries and restaurants.

Although it is against the law to remove pigeons from their habitat, no one has stopped the netters from doing so.

The public may be eating pigeon meat as it unknowingly may be substituted for quail, chicken or other meat products.

Only the New York City Board of Health has the authority to remove pigeons, or a permit or license is required from them.

If you care about pigeons and justice, please contact the Mayor of New York City and demand that the appropriate action be taken.

Arty
The Fantail Pigeon

09-30-2007, 02:09 AM

Update from In Defense of Animals

New York, N.Y.
July 24, 2007

International animal protection organization In Defense of Animals (IDA) is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for illegally netting, capturing, and killing pigeons in New York City.

"Reports of large numbers of pigeons being netted in New York City have grown over the last year," said IDA's East Coast Director, Valerie Sicignano. "IDA is offering a $2,500 reward in the hope of turning up evidence that will identify the offender(s). We suspect that the majority of birds are being transported out of state for canned hunts in a neighboring state and that a smaller number may be for human consumption.Emails mentioning a concern about bird flu are false - Pigeons do not transmit bird flu. If the Avian Flu does reach New York, New Yorkers will have to be concerned about catching it from other humans - not from the birds," added Sicignano.

IDA is grateful to "Bob" (Bird-Operations-Busted) for providing us with the documents "Tips on Preventing Bird Nettings" and a "Bird Netting Sightings Report" and the New York Bird Club for alerting us to the growing number of nettings going on around the city."

To Report a Bird Netting in New York City:

1) Fill out the form entitled "Bird Netting Sightings Report" found at In Defense of Animals
2) Call New York City Humane Law Enforcement at (212) 876-7700, ext. 4450 and file a report using the information you gathered on the form.
3) Next, Call NYS-DEC District 2 at (718) 482-4885 and file a 2nd report using the information that you gathered on the form.
4) To register for the Reward offered by IDA, mail a photocopy of your completed form to:

Valerie Sicignano
In Defense of Animals
3010 Kerner Blvd.
San Rafael, CA 94902

New Yorkers Love Pigeons!

The response from people who are concerned about pigeon poaching in NYC has been overwhelming! New Yorkers love these birds and we're not surprised given that the city even has a "Pigeon Registry" where people can name a pigeon after someone just like the Star Registries where you can name a star after someone.

To Name a Pigeon After Someone You Love:

Visit the Pigeon Registry started by Kerry Lea, IDA volunteer and Director of the world famous Veg Kids, at Urban Dove: The Pigeon Registry |

Reccomended Reading:

PIGEONS: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird by Andrew Blechman.
To learn more about the book and order a copy, go tohttp://www.andrewblechman.com/

New York Bird Club Event:

"Surviving the Next Pandemic: Bird Flu and Other Emerging Infectious Diseases"
Sunday September 16th
1:00 pm

Presented by Dr. Michael Greger, M.D.
Director, Public Health and Animal Agriculture
The Humane Society of the United States
Introduction by Valerie Sicignano,
East Coast Director
In Defense of Animals

For more information go to New York Avian Animal Rights Exotic Animals Reiki Wild Birds Preservation

References:

Pigeon intelligence - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Military animal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
War in Iraq - Pigeons
On a Wing and a Prayer
Cher Ami - The Carrier Pigeon who saved 200 men

Discussions:

Reward
Pigeon Nettings in NYC
What's on the Menu?

Press Release:

In Defense of Animals Offers Reward to Capture NY City Pigeon Netters

Correspondence Sent to Group (9/22/07)

Just a note to stay in touch concerning the pigeon nettings.

Time Out NY expressed an interest in writing a story after I contacted them, but I have not followed through on this. If anyone sees an article, please let me know. Any interest you can generate by way of the media, would go a long way in helping pigeons and their plight for survival.

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by someone through our blog (newyorkbirdclub.blogspot.com ) who witnessed a pigeon netting. She managed to get a picture of the criminal - only his back was photographed, but a picture of the van and license plate number was taken, and I sent this to Bill Dunn of the ASPCA and the D.A. office, but have not heard further.

Some disturbing news was sent to us, but cannot share until I get specifics; however, please be aware of PICAS PiCAS INTERNATIONAL - Pigeon Control, that I have reason to believe is being implemented in our city by government agencies.

Pigeons do not have an easy life, as you can see by their scrawny appearance and apparent hunger. Some people believe it is better to eradicate them than to let them live a life of misery. I have seen pigeons in the park sunning and enjoying life, and the NY Bird Club is against intentionally killing healthy birds. However, this is an area open for debate and we should keep an open mind to this sensitive issue.

Thank you for caring about pigeons....we are a small group but are growing as more people learn about what beautiful and sweet birds they are.

Continues

09-30-2007, 02:10 AM

9/27/07:

I have had this in my mailbox for close to a month now, and have put off sharing for reasons that I think are obvious; however, I see the investigation of apprehending the poachers/hunters/netters is stymied, and this may be some explanation as to why nothing is being done and the netters have free reign to do as they please.

Please know that the source of the email is reliable. Personally in my opinion, apprehending the netters is not a top priority with any agency or organization and perhaps it may be welcomed, cruel as it seems. Again, this is only my opinion; the email is real.

"This week Tuesday I was buying a used book at a stand in front of a Beauty Salon on 812 West 181 Street, that is in Manhattan (upper) by Fort Washington ave. The person that was selling the books told one of the men standing outside of the Beauty Parlor 'Give that pigeon some food' as he was eating a sandwich, so he threw the pigeon a piece of bread. I remarked that he was very kind. He then proceeded to tell me that the one pigeon that was there was the only survivor. He told me that a truck pulled up last week and threw out a net and took all the pigeons away directly across the street. I asked him if he remembered the license or if he could describe the car. He told me it was an ASPCA truck. I was shocked! Maybe we are complaining to an Organization that is looking to cut down on the amount of pigeons in the city and periodically goes around and collects pigeons. THEY DON'T TAKE THEM TO THE COUNTRY FOR A BETTER LIFE. I was nieve when I witnessed my first bird netting. I believe the man's name is Victor and he sells used paperbacks at that location. He likes pigeons and shares when he is eating.What can you do?"

I am not an eyewitness to the crime, but I know the writer to be reliable.

Runnin' Scared
To Catch a Thief
Vigilantes set up sting operation to catch pigeon poachers
by Mara Altman
June 26th, 2007 4:47 PM
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A pigeon netting happens like this: The netter parks a nondescript van, scatters some birdseed, waits off to the side until a large flock of pigeons swoop down, then tosses a net over them and speeds away. It's so fast that it hardly draws attention.
Except from Bob, who is apparently always watching.

Bob wouldn't give out his real name. His code name comes from the acronym of his underground network—Birds Operation Busted. He claims to have a task force spread throughout the city, monitoring the parks and street corners where pigeons often gather.

Because no governmental agency has focused on the problem, Bob says he's taken nabbing the netters upon himself. Bob says several surveillance cameras are set up in apartments all over the city (though he won't specify where); his members scour over hours of footage trying to find new evidence of nettings. He pulled out his laptop and played a DVD of the first netting ever to be caught on film.

"Unless you know what's happening," said Stephanie Boyles, of PETA, "It looks like they're just feeding the birds."

Despite all the hard work, B.O.B. has only managed to get one netter in trouble and that's only because the netter attacked a B.O.B. member and stole his digital camera. The netter was fined for assault and then freed. Gordon King, B.O.B.'s pro bono lawyer, says the laws prohibiting the netting practice are murky. "Our view is that it's clearly illegal," he said. "But the DEC [Department of Environmental Conservation] has an enforcement problem and a lack of personnel."

Pigeon pilfering isn't exactly at the top of every governmental department's priority list. Besides, pigeons are complicated animals where the law is concerned. Under the Department of Health they are listed as a nuisance animal, which means people can hire pest control services to exterminate them. At the same time, the Environmental Conservation Law protects wild birds—which includes pigeons—and trapping them is a violation. Meanwhile, the A.S.P.C.A.'s Humane Law Enforcement Department has received many concerned calls over the years, but they say it's hard to act on them. Joe Pentangelo, an A.S.P.C.A. officer, says they need a lot of proof—license plate numbers, vehicle description, and even photos—to issue a violation to a netter and so far, callers have come up short. "We're really busy," he said. "It's not that we're unsympathetic. We're not blasé about pigeons. We are concerned."

Once in the van, Bob suspects that the netter takes the pigeons over the state line and sells them to brokers for two to five dollars a piece (he also believes they're sold as squab in restaurants and used for dog-fighting practice). The brokers then sell them to pigeon shoots, which are still legal in Pennsylvania. Heidi Prescott, Senior Vice President for Campaigns at the Humane Society of the United States, has been working on shutting down the pigeon shoots for 15 years. She's also heard the gun clubs get their target supply from the city streets. "The New York nettings," she said. "We've heard rumors of that for years, but there just hasn't ever been an investigation."

Investigation or not, the nettings are real for Betty. She's been up at 4 a.m. every day for the last three years to protect the birds on the Upper West Side. Betty (she refuses to use her real name because she fears retribution from the netters and she doesn't report her dog-walking income during tax time) says the nettings occur on average three times a month. She stands in the bird food that the netters sprinkle and hoots and hollers until the birds fly away and the netters give up. "These guys are pretty doggone slick," she said. "But I'm not a small woman. Having me come up to them so quickly, I startle them!"

Pigeon lovers, like Bob and Betty, are a minority in this city. Most residents view pigeons as pests and believe the netters are doing a service by taking them (and as a result, their droppings) off park benches. "I've never seen an animal that brings out such polarized feelings," said Andrew Blechman, the author of Pigeons: The Fascinating Saga of the World's Most Revered and Reviled Bird. "Most people don't give a **** about them."

Pigeon haters shouldn't get excited just yet: Removing the birds will not make them go away. Karen Purcell, the leader for Urban Bird Studies at Cornell University, says that if the habitat is right—like abundant leftover pizza and donuts on the sidewalk—bird population will remain the same despite the exit of a few or a few hundred.

Bob blames humans for pigeons' messes and their population explosion. "The real dirty thing here is the person who drops all the scraps," he said. "We are the filthy species." When birds eat human food like unprocessed flour, the birds' droppings turn into a concrete consistency.

As for the future, Bob sees underground B.O.B. networks forming around the country and public awareness driving the netters out of business. "This is a message to the netters," said Bob. "Don't you do this because we're after your butts!"

Arty

09-30-2007, 08:59 PM

Oh! Arty, This just makes me sick. Pigeon netting?

There just seems to be no end to all the animal abuse in this world.

I hate when people make money off of Gods creatures!

I see my Pretty Boys' (Abi) pic up there at the end of your post! Cannot tell you how much I love this little guy! He is soooo sweet!
Thanx for posting his pic!

Have a great week!
Hugs, Donna

09-30-2007, 09:11 PM

Thank you Broken Wing. I've been following this all along and hope that our club can help spread awareness of the situation. The NYBC has been trying to push this out to the public since the first sighting it's tough.

You'd think with all the camera phones in the city there'd be more photos but I think judging from all the first time sighters that post on our board, that the people are SO SHOCKED they just freeze.

10-03-2007, 10:08 AM

Date: Oct 3, 2007 4:12 AM
Subject: Request Information about Pigeon Nettings/Hunting
Body: CONTACT DIRECTLY: Anna at nybirdclub@yahoo.com

---- Original Message -----
From: New York Bird Club
To: Adela4Total-Animal-Lib@rcn.com
Sent: Monday, October 01, 2007 12:10 PM
Subject: Request Information about Pigeon Nettings/Hunting

Hello fellow bird and animal lovers,

As some of you are aware and maybe some are yet unaware, there are crimes against pigeons being committed in the New York City area. Hungry pigeons are baited with bird seeds and as they are eating the food, a large big black net is thrown over them and they are savagely dumped into a van.

Pigeons are pretty much homebodies who stay in the area they are born in. Imagine the terror they feel as they are being driven away. Where the netters take them is unknown, but we do know that many are taken to Pigeon Shoots in Pennsylvania and shot at and killed for fun and sport. Others may be taken to stores and flea markets or sold to restaurants and super markets to be consumed by humans. These people are not nice people, having been convicted of manslaughter and torture with a box cutter, so you can imagine how these poor birds are being treated by them. It has been speculated that they may have a warehouse with other animals as well so we need to apprehend them and get them off the streets. No bird or animal should have to be subjected to such inhumane treatment, especially in their place of dwelling.

We have eyewitnesses to the crimes, we have license plate numbers and photos.

At this time, I urge anyone to come forward with any information you have.

Thank you on behalf of pigeons and animals,

Sincerely,

Anna Dove
New York Bird Club
New York Avian Animal Rights Exotic Animals Reiki Wild Birds Preservation
NYC Wildlife
New York Birds - Connecting Nature and People