Paula's Story
(yet another pigeon rescue tale)

Paula Pigeon

          Paula came into my life on August 24, 1999.  I first saw her about five feet out in Town Lake on a rock.  She was perfectly still, and I thought she was dead until I saw that her eyes were opened.  I walked out into the lake, picked her up (she was lifeless), and dried her off.  She couldn't walk or stand or fly.  I brought her home and put her in the cote on a towel with food and water.  She had no apparent injuries to her body, but was traumatized.  After a few hours, she could stand up by herself!  By the next day she could walk and in another day, she could fly and was back to her old self.  I took care of her for 4 days, made sure she was okay, and then released her where I'd found her.  As we drove near Town Lake, she began to recognize her home and got excited.
                                                                         Paula in the Pigeon Cote

          When I released her, she quickly flew up to her roosting spot under the bridge at Town Lake.  Paula was a full grown female, who had apparently had a flying accident. When I first picked her up, she seemed to have no will to live.  She'd resigned to dying in the water.  But once she revived, she was fine.  What a miracle to watch her survive!  I thank God for the chance to get to know her for a short but wonderful time!

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