Over the years, Sue Rogers, the founder of the Mia Foundation, had taken care of several birds, but in all her years, she had never met a bird quite like the flightless pigeon Herman.
Sue found out about Herman when someone asked if she would be willing to take in the bird. Apparently, the rescuer had found Herman sitting in the same spot in the parking lot for a couple of days.
When Sue first met the pigeon, he had a “weird head tilt,” and he could not fly. She and her husband, Gary, tube fed the bird and helped him regain his strength, but it looked like he would never regain his flight.
Once Sue and her husband had rehabilitated Herman, they reached out to see if anyone wanted to adopt him, but no one would take him, and a few places said they would probably euthanize the pigeon.
So, Sue decided to keep the quirky pigeon, and as it turned out, Herman was a perfect fit. Within days, Herman stepped into his self-assigned role as pigeon ambassador to the dogs at the shelter.
“He walks around, and I’ll look over and he’ll be in a dog bed curled up with a dog,” said Sue. Herman also helped take care of the infant arrivals, snuggling with them and sitting on them like they were his own babies.
Sue hoped that Herman could also be an ambassador for other pigeons. “Pigeons really get a bad rap,” said Sue. “I’m amazed at their intelligence, how cuddly and sweet they are. I really, really love them.”
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