Dead pigeons falling from Wenatchee skies cause flurry of calls

Seattle Times ^ | Wednesday, November 30, 2005 | ap

[Fawn]

WENATCHEE — Pigeons were falling dead from the skies over downtown Wenatchee, and the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society got a flurry of calls.

Was it the feared avian flu? No.

The Chelan-Douglas Health District was preparing to ship some of the dead birds to a state health lab for testing when someone at the Coast Hotel and Wenatchee Center called to say the center had hired a pest-control company — the state-licensed Yakima office of St. Paul, Minn.-based EcoLab — to poison the birds.

"This abatement kills a couple of birds and sends a message to the birds to not come here," said Freyda Stephens, general manager of the center. "It's not intended to kill everything."

While there's no violation of state law, James Rowe, a Humane Society animal control officer, said the center may have violated a city animal-cruelty ordinance if it didn't take out a city permit.

"The ordinance basically says you can't poison animals in the city unless you are a government agency or authorized by one," he said.

"If you're going to be killing that many birds you would think they would have let some officials know because of all the concern right now with avian flu," he added. And there are ways do avoid "birds randomly dying, wherever. It can be a horrific thing to witness a bird flopping around dying."

He's asked the city attorney to look into the matter. A decision on charges is expected in about a week.

[Fawn]

They must be wrong---I thought only feral cats killed the birds.

[Condor51]

Pigeons were falling dead from the skies...

I didn't do it!
I put my pellet rifle away in '75.

[Hegemony Cricket]

If they wanted to "send a message to the birds", couldn't they have just broken a few of their windows, or put a horse's head in a nest or two?

[YouPosting2Me]

"sends a message to the birds"

Pigeons? Send a message? Why not use "Carrier Pigeons"?

[kittymyrib]

No doubt the government will be sending grief counselors in because someone saw a dead bird. What a nation of wusses we are becoming!

[ovrtaxt]

They could have blamed it on cow farts, just like global warming.

[Fawn]

LOL. Nope....pesticides was the only solution....
I posted this because in some other threads....justification for killing cats I believe, some people adamdantly blamed the bird loss in this country on homeless cats. I was trying to tell them that pesticides, urban sprawl, hurricanes, raccoons, hawks, pond spraying, tree spraying, weekkiller, owls, etc etc....kill more birds than any homeless cats. Even my own kitchen window caused the death of a couple pigeons in my yard......

[will180]

THE BIRDS!!!

[CPOSharky]

...the center may have violated a city animal-cruelty ordinance if it didn't take out a city permit.

So, if you have a city permit it's not animal-cruelty?

[Fawn]

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

ROFLOL:)

That's what it sounds like!

Becky

[Issaquahking]

No,no,no, you forgot to read the big brother line...


"The ordinance basically says you can't poison animals in the city unless you are a government agency or authorized by one," he said.


Washington state has a lot of nanny state BS going on. Good thing the Puget Chapter of FR is there to slap stupid around now and then.

[Fawn]

"This abatement kills a couple of birds and sends a message to the birds to not come here," said Freyda Stephens, general manager of the center. "It's not intended to kill everything."

Yeah.....One bird or 50----what's the difference?

[Fawn]

Bump to all the cat haters......

[Al Gator]

Dear Fawn,

What in the world is a "weekkiller"?? Is that something to get you from monday to friday without having to suffer the days in between?

BTW, I have a new recipe for kitty strew, like a copy? :-)

[Al Gator]

I know you just "adamdantly" despise cat whackers. Aren't they just Horrible?

LOL

Cat's got your spell checker?

[Fawn]

Weekkiller is a pseudonym for weed killer--that is applied weekly. No thanks on the on cat the recipes......got one for pit bulls or rotties? Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Fawn]

Ouch---pointing out my mistakes...must of pushed your buttons. Well.....I'm just glad I got my message out.....have a good day... >^..^<

[Al Gator]

......got one for pit bulls or rotties? Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

As a matter of fact I do! I collected several different dog recipes when I was in the Philippines. Makes for some wonderful barbecue on a stick!

BTW, pits have no "meat" and rotties are tough.

[freebird5850]

Back when I was at Memphis State, they had a problem with sparrows, so a company put out a mixture on rooftops they thought only sparrows would eat. Not so, the pigeons loved it. I remember seeing pigeons dropping off 2 story buildings and hitting the ground with a thud, then convulsing. It made my girlfriend puke.