Internationally known chanteuse and animal advocate Julie Cascioppo writes:
Hi, I thought you might like this exciting piece of news.
May 15th 3:30 PM: A Pigeon lost his way and found himself in Bartell Drugs on 45th. When I walked in the store the 2 managers were running after this poor bird, chasing it with sticks and baskets. Of course the bird was traumatized. But, so was the manager, as he’s afraid if the bird doesn’t leave the store, it will set off alarms all night, and then the police will come, and because it’s not a robbery, just a pigeon, the store will be FINED.
Upon seeing this, and I being a famous animal activist, I ran home and got my stick with a net, and a large silk scarf. That’s what I do when birds accidentally come into my home.
The staff at Bartell were confident in allowing me to go at it, since they know me, very well. Unfortunately, this bird kept out of reach, perching on various high placed objects d’merchandise. He was getting stressed out. I gave up, as I thought, ‘just wait till he goes to sleep then we can approach him’.
Then the Spare Change newspaper guy came in and he was much faster at dodging the shoppers, and avoiding the possible collisions with wine and Carmel corn displays. I felt so sorry for the bird, I told him to stop, let Bartell management call an animal specialist.
I spent an hour there, chatting with customers, about birds, and what to do with them in stressful situations. At one point a fisherman stated, “If I had my net, I could just throw it on him.”
I said, “where is your NET????”
He answered casually, “Oh it HAD been in the back of my truck, but I took it out today”.
I asked “Where do you live?????”
“By Green lake”
“Well go get it !!!!” I cried in exasperation.
“I DON’T FEEL LIKE IT” he replied, like it was so unimportant.
Now that makes me sad in a way. I give up.
I have no idea what has happened to the pigeon, but I do know one thing, once I see someone, or some thing in distress, I help as much as I possibly can.
I guess that’s me.
Thanks for fighting the good fight, Julie. Please send a recording of “The Ballad of the Errant Pigeon” when you have penned and hummed it.
(Pigeon pictured is distant cousin of pigeon featured in story, not same pigeon. Photo by Derek Law.)
Hey Julie, Good story. Hope the Pigeon survived the trauma. I’m with you I like all the creatures around.
The newspaper is Real Change.
Hope the pigeon got out. I notice nobody voiced concern about the, er, health aspects of a pigeon in the store.