10/30/2026
Lucky’s weekly vet update:
Not the best news, but she’s ok.
Lucky completed her antibiotics and transitioned to a lower dose of pain meds. Even with having a giant dinner last night, she lost 50g this week.
I don’t think she’s eating when I’m at work, and we are increasing her pain meds again in case that’s impacting her appetite.
The vet was hoping to see Lucky show more of a reflex in her toes on her broken leg after 2 weeks. I’m hoping this is not nerve related and just a part of the healing process.
The X-ray this week didn’t show any changes, if anything it may look a little worse. One of the breaks is lined up great, but the lower break is a little offset. So I will be dropping her off on Tuesday morning to go under and have the vet re-set the splint.
We also revisited the pin option. I’m told that the bones are hollow and it’s a little pin that is placed inside each segment to connect together. My vet said they often do it when there is one break, but with 2 breaks it will be more difficult to run the pin through all 3 segments. She said there is a chance it could go perfectly, but also a chance it won’t, and in that case they would have to amputate.
Alternatively, if we don’t do the pin, her leg will heal regardless- it’s just a matter of how well. It may be a little shorter or wonky, but it will still be intact and usable. My vet’s advice, and my gut, are saying the pin surgery is not worth the risk. But I will also talk this over with Lucky’s prior owner to take her thoughts into consideration as well.
When birds arrive at Bobber’s Pigeon Sanctuary as pet surrenders, their parents often stay in touch. It’s often a medical or housing situation that requires them to surrender their pets, and never because they stopped loving their pets. I can understand the heartbreak that comes with having to surrender a pet before you had planned to say goodbye, for reasons out of your control. This is why I value the people who first cared for these birds and consider them a part of Flock Bobber.
We have a couple GoFundMe fundraisers going right now.
💰Winston Emergency Veterinary Fund
Our goal of raising $100 for each bird in our care to be invested in their medical care. This is designed to be a safety net for the birds. In reality, when a bird requires veterinary intervention it’s because they require a level of care exceeding my skill set, and that on average has cost us between $2,000-$4,000+ per bird.
Some of the birds that have had costs this high include Fraction, Monroe, Ms. Byron, Opal, and Lucky. It may sound ludicrous to invest such an amount in a bird, but they all survived, adding years to their lives, and continue to enjoy the best quality of life to this day. It was money well spent.
💰 Help Us Purchase a Cage for Our Special Needs Birds
Our goal is to raise $400 to purchase a new catio duplex for our special needs birds. Pete has had to retire indoors, and I anticipate as the flock ages we will only have more retirees needing more support.
We deeply appreciate your support and prayers, and the time you take to learn about our residents and the world of pigeon exploitation. Life is hard, for people and animals alike. We have the power to lighten the load for everyone when we enter into a reciprocal relationship with nature. We are accustomed to benefiting at nature’s expense, but when we give back, everyone wins.
https://gofund.me/1ef228763
https://gofund.me/07412b7ae
MyRegistry: myregistry.com/organization/kelsey-dowty-mason-mi/54
PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/4735967
Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/BobberDreamHouse
Cashapp: $KelseyDowty
