NHARL will host a Rally for Pigeons in Portsmouth, NH, on July 20 to advocate for pigeons. Join us at 2 Congress Street from 10 am until 12 noon to encourage onlookers to share their city with pigeons.
Our rally is part of the first World Day for the Defense of Liminal Animals, a global event promoting peaceful coexistence between humans and liminal animals.
Liminal animals, such as pigeons, rats, rabbits, and many others, are integral to our urban lives, yet their rights are often disregarded.
We hope to change this perception.
About Pigeons
Pigeons are much maligned in today’s culture, and not rightly so. These domesticated pigeons were brought to the U.S. by European colonizers. They were used for food, companions, and communication. Pigeons served us well until we no longer needed them, and then we discarded them.
These pigeons, not to be confused with the extinct native passenger pigeon, are feral and not naturally wild. They don’t know how to survive without us. They live alongside us in our streets, bridges, cities, and parks. With help from other liminal animals, they clean up the food we litter our streets with. It is also true that watching and feeding pigeons is a healthy emotional activity for many people. We still need them, although some people do not think so. Changing that attitude is a goal worth striving for.
NHARL believes that if pigeons become overabundant, managing their populations using non-lethal methods, such as contraceptives, is crucial. Poisons or any treatment that causes suffering should not be used.
