More than 300 pigeons rescued from hoarding situation in Pennsylvania, wildlife center says

More than 300 pigeons were rescued from a hoarding situation in Pennsylvania, a wildlife rehabilitation center said. 

The Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that it was called by Wilkes-Barre animal control to help with "a sad and devastating hoarding situation." 

They were told there were between 170 and 200 pigeons, but the wildlife center said in an update that there ended up being 318. Twelve of them had to be euthanized. The rescue said the pigeons were injured, emaciated and infested with mites and bird lice. 

"We know there will be the inevitable comment of 'they're only pigeons' and wondering why we bother," the center said in a Facebook post. "But saving wildlife isn't about only rescuing the fluffy or majestic animals we share this world with. As often as not, it is about loving the unloved, and giving them the attention, dignity, and care they deserve like all the rest."   

In a Facebook comment, the center explained that they can't just release the birds because pigeons are incredibly intelligent animals with strong homing instincts that will try to find their way home, "often exhausting themselves or flying straight into danger." Many of the pigeons rescued are also suffering from neurological disease, healing from injuries or have become too used to humans to survive on their own. 

The rescue hopes to have them all adopted in the next two weeks so they can focus on the hundreds of wildlife babies already in their care.