"Pigeons as Pets"

Pigeons have a terrible reputation among New Yorkers, but they can make surprisingly good pets.

Q: I live in a Little Italy rental building. My neighbor has taken in a city pigeon as a pet. I believe she ties down the bird’s foot with a piece of string attached to a metal rolling grocery cart. Aside from the harm she may cause the bird, couldn’t a pigeon endanger the health of other tenants by, say, contaminating the water supply or spreading disease? Is such a pet safe or legal?

A:Assuming the lease does not have a clause prohibiting birds, your neighbor can keep a pigeon, as the city’s health code does not prohibit pigeons as pets. 

Your neighbor’s choice for a pet may not be ideal, but it’s unlikely to put your health at risk.  Pigeons are often derided as rats with wings, largely because we mostly see them devouring our food scraps and flocking around dirty sidewalks. But they generally don’t harm us. While large amounts of droppings — like what you might find in a poorly maintained air shaft or rooftop — may pose a moderate health risk, a lone pet pigeon will not endanger you, your neighbors or your water supply.

“People are way more likely to get sick from dogs, cats or even other people than they are from pigeons,” said Elizabeth Young, the founder of Palomacy, a San Francisco pigeon rescue organization.


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