What do you all think of the releasing of doves(homing pigeons) for events? Is this a bad thing? or do the pigeons live a great life flying back to home? I have always wondered about this.
Alene

It's not the worst thing they could do, but I still don't like it. Capturing doves, keeping them in cages, then being held by humans and released sounds annoying at the least to the birds.

I can imagine how stressful it must be for the birds.

They don't capture wild doves for things like this. These doves are specially bred, and have been handled from birth by humans. They are taught to home, and have been kept in small cages and have been acclimatised to small cages from hatching. Not saying all this makes it right or wrong, just wanting to point out these aren't captured birds unused to human handling.

I don't think it's a good idea, I would classify it under "animals used for entertainment".

No, apparently a certain number not turning up at home due to predation is considered normal.

I wonder if people at those events end up with a lot of white splotches on their heads.

I always just assumed they used tame doves which died in the wild. I am glad to hear at least some make it home.

Personally I don't like it.

Have you seen that video somewhere online where two russian kids are holding doves that are set to be released, when the cue comes to release them, only one flys away while the other drops to the ground dead? The child apparently held on to it to tight and inadvertently killed it. I don't think children should handle peace doves without adult supervision.

Oh and it was funny as hell to see. Let me try to find the link.