A recurring theme we see in the animal welfare world is the economy causing severe hardship to the local animal shelters and local animal rescue groups.  In an effort to raise much needed funds to continue saving pigeons and doves, MickaCoo Pigeon and Dove Rescue has applied for a Pepsi Refresh Project grant and is eligible for $10,000.  Elizabeth Young, Director of MickaCoo has contributed the below story.  Learn about the great work this local animal rescue group engages in, and in this case, it's as easy as a click to make a difference in the lives of pigeons and doves in our community!


MickaCoo Pigeon and Dove Rescue (MickaCoo.org) provides vet care, foster homes and adoption placement for hundreds of domestic, unreleasable pigeons and doves that would otherwise be euthanized in Bay Area animal shelters.  Since 2008, we have been an all-volunteer division of nonprofit parrot rescue Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue (Mickaboo.org) and we are always in need of donations, funding and adopters to help these gentle, intelligent and usually overlooked birds.  MickaCoo has an opportunity to win a much-needed $10,000 grant in this month's Pepsi Refresh Project.  The little birds that many disparage are making a surprisingly strong showing in this month’s Pepsi Refresh Challenge for a $10,000 grant. Currently, the pigeons are hanging tough in 14th place out of 160 worthy entrants in the $10K category. They need to be in the top 15 to win the funds that will keep MickaCoo’s rescue efforts afloat. Voting closes in just a few days, on September 30.

Domestic Pigeons and doves are different from urban pigeons. They can’t survive without human care.  Abandoned domestic pigeons and doves that aren’t rescued will die of starvation, illness, predation, or euthanasia.

• Most animal shelters consider domestic pigeons and doves “unadoptable.” Shelters euthanize them at a higher rate than almost any other type of animal.
• Pigeons and doves make great pets. They are gentle, smart, and easy to care for.
• The San Francisco Bay Area’s MickaCoo Pigeon and Dove Rescue has mobilized enough support, volunteers, donations, and aviaries to save more than 450 of these “impossible” birds in the past 3 1/2 years, placing them in safe, forever homes. This year alone, MickaCoo has found homes for 200 pigeons and doves, like Yuzu and Quince. 

To learn more about MickaCoo Pigeon and Dove Rescue, please see their website at http://MickaCoo.org.

With our society's preoccupation with reality television, perhaps the next new show should be "Kitten Season: San Jose"?   Unfortunately most people would be shocked and horrified at the realities of how our area shelters, humane societies and cat rescue groups struggle to save these tiny lives during kitten season in the greater San Jose area.

Every year between April and October area stray, feral and domesticated cats give birth to many kittens.  Statistic:   Did you know that left unaltered a cat and her offspring can produce over 420,000 kittens in 7 years?

Sadly six months into kitten season, pre-wean kittens (kittens under 8-weeks-old) are still pouring into our local shelter, San Jose Animal Care Center.  The shelter reaches out on a daily basis to area rescue groups with a list of cats and kittens who need rescue.  Many of these are underweight kittens.  If the *rescue groups can't take these kittens which are typically under 8-weeks-old and weighing less than 2 pounds, they are sadly euthanized because  they are not "adoptable" until they are old enough--and big enough--to be spayed or neutered. Statistic:  More than 3500 pre-wean kittens are euthanized in Santa Clara County shelters every year.
*rescue groups rely on having foster homes to allow them to save more animals

So the logical question you might have is, what should you do if You find homeless kittens? According to Laurie Melo, founder of Itty Bitty Orphan Kitty Rescue "If people would only foster these kittens until they are big enough to be spayed or neutered, they could be placed for adoption through a shelter or rescue group and have a chance at life."  This community involvement is critical due to lack of resources and staff at our local shelter to care for these kittens.

In an effort to educate the public on what is involved in fostering kittens, Itty Bitty Orphan Kitty Rescue created the Pre-Wean Kitten Project.  As part of the Pre-Wean Project, IBOK Rescue provides Starter Packs available to more than 20 Bay Area shelters and to all 40 Pet Food Express stores.   In addition, IBOK produced a 30-minute instructional video on how to care for pre-weaned kittens.  The video shows you everything you need to know to hand-raise the kittens until they are old enough to be adopted and is available on DVD and online (watch it here).  I personally have used the pre-wean packet and attended IBOK's class at HSSV.  As a result, my current foster kittens are thriving.  Until you try bottle feeding these little ones, you have no idea how rewarding it is, not to mention life-saving for the kittens.

What else can you do to help? Spay/neuter ALL of your pet cats.  This act alone helps save thousands of lives!  In our area, the San Jose Animal Care Center has low cost/spay neuter clinics for cats on a weekly basis.  Make your appointments online and for $20 females, $15 males you can do the responsible thing for your cat/s.

Reality check:  As I was leaving HSSV with my foster kittens, someone had brought in a card board box full of kittens found in a dumpster.  Again, please save a life and spay/neuter all of your pets.  That's the least we all can do!

These days, you can't have a conversation without someone saying, " I saw that on Facebook!"  Whether you are a fan of social networking or not, you can't ignore it's power to connect people to a each other, to groups, to businesses, and in this case, to a cause to save a beautiful shelter dog.

Meet Nathaniel.  Since May, Nathaniel lived at the San Jose Animal Care Center.  Every day, he patiently waited for someone to come to the shelter in search of a handsome, athletic, sweet dog who wanted nothing other than a home and a friendly human to love him.  Did I mention that he is a pit bull mix?  Unfortunately, with the bad press that never ceases to highlight this breed over all others, there are less humans out there who would consider Nathaniel because he has some pit bull in him.

The time dragged on, but Nathaniel kept his attitude in check knowing that if he was a good boy, someone would come and take him home.  Fortunately, there are these amazing people called shelter volunteers who shower the animals with love and give up their spare time to walk and assure them that the perfect person will come.

This good dog, like many others, can only deal with so much confinement.  Nathaniel was starting to exhibit classic kennel stress behavior.  Unfortunately, the shelter has no other option but to put these animals on the euthanasia list since keeping them in the shelter environment indefinitely is inhumane.

Nathaniel's time was up.  His outlook was bleak.  Little did he know that social networking would save him.  San Jose Animal Advocates decided to place a paid advertisement to plead the animal-loving population of San Jose to take action and save this dog before it was too late.  He had 24 hours for someone to go to the shelter and adopt him.

Maybe it was his photo with his soft grey eyes saying, "I've been a good boy, and have waited for so long".  Whatever it was, due to one Facebook advertisement, Nathaniel's future guardian found him just in time.  To this good citizen who is on Facebook and took immediate action to save Nathaniel's life, we salute you!  And to Facebook, well I guess I'm a believer now of the good that this phenomenon can do.  I might even rent The Social Network this weekend.

There is another very deserving dog whose life hangs in the balance.  Please see Dallas' Facebook page and share with your friends.

Lastly, many people didn't realize that our local shelter, San Jose Animal Care Center is not a no-kill shelter.   It isn't.  It takes in over 20,000 animals a year, and is one of the largest shelters in California.  There are many Nathaniels, Dallases, and so many beautiful, loving animals (dogs, cats, bunnies and rats) who keep hoping you will come and take them home.  Go visit today and find your next best friend.

The below video is for Nathaniel: