by Ryan Ponto | Oct 6, 2016 | Bird Netting
If anyone knows how to train animals it is Bobby Pollock, pigeon guy of Muldrow. He and his family run and operate Pet Partners in Muldrow and he runs the River Valley Roundup one loft race.
Pet Partners is a boarding, training and grooming kennel that offers 24-hour care because they live on the premise. They have been serving the community about 20 years. Adding to his resume of animal training, he also raises and trains racing pigeons on the same site.
Pollock said that most kids who get involved with pigeons do so by going into barns and getting baby pigeons, taking them home and caring for them. As a child, he said he had climbed bridges and barns to get his baby pigeons.
“It started when I was a child and then I got back into it when I crossed paths with an old friend that used to fly pigeons and he was back into pigeons again,” he said. “This would’ve been around 2000, and so I got back into it and I never looked back.”
Pollock said racing pigeon is a great hobby for the retired and especially children.
“It’s something you can do in your backyard, and it’s a good family sport,” he said. “It’s good for kids because they learn responsibility and affection towards animals, and how to take care of animals.”
There are several different ways to race pigeons but Pollock runs a one loft race which is where birds are sent to him for training and come race time he transports the birds to a location for a certain number of miles, tosses them and times how long it takes them to return home.
“Birds are sent from all over. They can be sent from anywhere in the world. I have birds that come from as far away as Hawaii, and they send their birds here when they’re babies,” he said. “They grow up, this is their home. Those birds grow up, they’re all medicated the same, all fed the same, all trained the same, and they all come home to one location. The birds come back to wherever they live.”
Pollock said that with a one loft race the race is fair because the birds come to one location, are raised, lived and trained at this one location. He takes his training and raising of the birds very seriously and knows precisely the lineage of his personal birds.
“That’s the excitement for me, to see birds that I’ve been creating all these years and they’re still winning,” he said.
Pollock conducts his race in the fall or early winter and contestants will race for thousands of dollars in prizes.
He wants to share the birds with anyone interested and said he will give away birds to those who are interested in racing, or just want them as pets.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Ryan Ponto | Oct 5, 2016 | Bird Netting
NUTLEY, NJ — A would-be pigeon thief managed to fly the coop after an attempted break in at a local shed earlier this month, Nutley police say.
According to the Nutley Police Department, officers responded to a Gerard Road residence on a report of an attempted burglary on Oct. 3. On arrival, the officers met with the resident, who told them that someone attempted to break into the shed where their pigeons are located.
Police said that the hinges to the shed were pried off in what may have been an attempt to enter the structure and take the birds, but entry to the structure was unsuccessful.
Nutley detectives arrived on the scene and took control of the investigation, which included processing the scene, police said.
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Ryan Ponto | Oct 4, 2016 | UltraSonic Bird Control
Homing pigeons have fouled Janine White’s garden, washing and children’s playhouse, got into her kitchen and even made it into her bedroom.
Mum Janine White is plagued by pooping homing pigeons that come into her home and garden after the birds’ owners moved away
The 34-year-old mum said: “I feel a prisoner in my own home – they are defecating everywhere, it stinks and I just can’t seem to stop them.”
She added: “They are taking every opportunity to fly into my house.
“I’m scared to open my windows – I honestly feel trapped.”
She has managed to trap some of the birds in this playhouse, belonging to her daughter
But other birds are still flying into her home, fouling her clean washing and bedroom
Janine lives in Blackburn, Lancs, with mum Josephine, 54, and daughter Mia, one.
She has been unable to trace her former neighbour and does not know what to do with the birds.
She said: “I don’t know whether they want them back or they’ve abandoned them.
“I think they left suddenly.
“I’m scared that if something happens to the pigeons in my garden that I will be held responsible – which isn’t fair.”
Now Janine is concerned she will be held responsible if something happens to any of the pigeons in her playhouse
She now hopes the local council will come and safely remove the birds from her home soon
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Ryan Ponto | Oct 3, 2016 | Pigeons in the News
The Criminal Investigation Department of Jammu and Kashmir has started probe into the seizure of 153 pigeons seized from a Kashmir bound truck coming from Punjab. “The CID wing has initiated the investigation into the case in which 153 pigeons were seized by the police that were being smuggled from the Punjab to the Pulwama district of south Kashmir,” an official here today said. He said there might be possibility of use of smuggled pigeons for the purpose of espionage to pass on secret information to the Pakistan Intelligence Agencies across the Line of Control (LoC). “Police last week seized few cartons from a Kashmir-bound vehicle in which 153 pigeons were being smuggled to the Kashmir Valley,” they said, adding that the pigeons carried coloured marking and suspicious rings following which the case was referred to the CID for investigation.”A message was received that the pigeons could have been used for transmitting secret messages across the border and the action was taken,” they said. Sources however, said that the driver carrying the birds, was produced before the court and fined for smuggling the pigeons under Cruelty Against Animals Act.UNI VBH PY SHS 2014
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
by Ryan Ponto | Oct 2, 2016 | Bird Netting
A Birkirkara resident, who lives close to a property which neighbours claim is the cause of a rat infestation in the area, said that while trying to sleep at night they can hear rodents gnawing through the mortar in the wall.
“You can’t imagine what it’s like unless you were in our position”.
This particular property, on Triq Has-Sajjied Birkirkara, is known to this newsroom. Back in 2014, animal welfare officials who had gone on site told The Malta Independent on Sundaythat some 50 pigeons, three horses and some rabbits and chickens were found in the property. In 2015, a letter was sent to the Police Department complaining about a rat infestation.
Now, it seems legal proceedings have been initiated against those using this property to house the animals. The property is a house of character situated in an urban area, which also contains a courtyard.
A number of residents contacted The Malta Independent on Sunday with their concerns, and the shocking situation they face on a daily basis. The complaints are mainly about therat infestation on the property in question, and videos clips and images received highlight this particular problem. Complaints also mention the noise made by the horse kicking its hooves against the wall and the filth left by a number of pigeons kept on the property.
The video clips show rats skittering across the courtyard in broad daylight and climbing on walls, as well as chickens, roosters and a horse walking around.
One resident who spoke to this newsroom described the concerns he he has, and said that problems have been going on for a number of years, “but the rodent situation has never been as bad as it is now. Whenever I met the people utilising the property in question, I would tell them to clean up. They would do so and it would be better for a while. But with the infestation there is now, I felt the need to speak out. I have given up trying to reach some form of agreement with them as they seem to lack the will to solve the problem.” The courtyard in question, he said, is invaded.
The courtyard and building are quite old he said, explaining that there are gaps between the large stone blocks filled with mortar, and the rats dig through. “At night, we hear the rats digging through the mortar. Imagine, trying to sleep and hearing that at night. It’s not a nice thing to hear. I also have a courtyard, and I don’t even open the door to it anymore,as so many rodents come over from their property. In the evening, as soon as I switch on the lights in my courtyard, you can see the rats scurrying.”
He said that high-up health department officials (tas-sanita) had gone on site, went on the roofs of neighbours and saw the situation. “They were surprised by the number of rats.”
Turning to noise, he said that one week they would have roosters and someone would tell the people in question not to keep them there. They would remove them for a week and bring even more the following week.
A couple of residents mentioned that the pigeons were a real cause for concern, as they cannot even open their balcony doors for fear the pigeons would fly in. Faeces also litter their roofs.
Another resident explained that seeing rats in the street was becoming quite common.
Questions were sent to both Animal Welfare and the Health Ministry.
The Health Ministry said: “Following reports by neighbours who alleged that animals were being kept in unhygienic conditions in a built up area, inspections were carried out on site by various authorities including animal welfare, environmental health and PA. This led to legal action being initiated against the owners of the property on 29 September 2016.”
The Parliamentary Secretariat for Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Rights, responding on behalf of Animal Welfare said: “The case was investigated by the Animal Welfare Directorate, and as a result a formal complaint was sent to the Birkirkara Police Inspector.”
Documents regarding the sale of the property back in 1988 show that it was sold to a person called Derrick James Chick, who eventually moved to the UK. Dr Kenneth Grima, representing one of the residents, told this newsroom that the people who currently usethe property are squatters. However, neither the residents, nor the police can initiate legal proceedings, as only the owner can do that. He said that several attempts have been made to contact the descendants of the owner who live abroad, however so far they haven’t had any luck and have not been contacted back.
The people who use the property in question have now even filed an application before the Planning Authority, which was granted. The application was for internal alterations, with the addition of a washroom.
Residents speaking to this newsroom claim that the notice regarding the application was not visible on the property. “How is it possible that 12 residents never saw this,” one said.
In the planning application, the applicant ticked the box stating that he is the sole owner of the site, but as previously mentioned, their neighbours are claiming otherwise – that they are squatting.
One resident filed a complaint with the Planning Authority last June. “Squatters are using property as a farm mainly for raising horses and pigeons. Lately they have erected two’rooms’ for the pigeons which are visible from my roof, one from mixed material and then another wooden one. I have no idea if they have erected other rooms in these premises since the squatting has been going on for years”.
“This is a sensitive area as it is part of the old core of Birkirkara. My worry is that the premises will continue to deteriorate as the squatters have no respect for the building’s historic value and neither for the surrounding neighbours’ houses”.
In response, the Authority said: “These premises were built prior to 1967 and the Planning Authority has no records or permits relating to the site. Therefore, enforcement action cannot be initiated as regards the use. Moreover, application for ‘Internal alterations and proposed addition of washroom to an existing building’ has been granted Full Development Permission on 06/04/16 and a valid commencement notice has been submitted.”
About Pigeon Patrol:
Pigeon Patrol Products & Services is the leading manufacturer and distributor of bird deterrent (control) products in Canada. Pigeon Patrol products have solved pest bird problems in industrial, commercial, and residential settings since 2000, by using safe and humane bird deterrents with only bird and animal friendly solutions. At Pigeon Patrol, we manufacture and offer a variety of bird deterrents, ranging from Ultra-flex Bird Spikes with UV protection, Bird Netting, 4-S Gel and the best Ultrasonic and audible sound devices on the market today.
Voted Best Canadian wholesaler for Bird Deterrent products four years in a row.
Contact Info: 1- 877– 4– NO-BIRD (www.pigeonpatrol.ca)
