“She hopped on my head and just sat there.” 😂 Brooke Ciardi, the outreach coordinator at Montgomery County Animal Services and Adoption Center (MCASAC), was outside capturing photos of adoptable dogs when she noticed a pigeon perched nearby, closely observing her every move.
Intrigued by the curious pigeon’s presence, Ciardi inquired with her colleagues, discovering that the bird had been lingering outside the shelter for several days. Concerned for its well-being, Ciardi ventured back outside to check on the pigeon. What happened next caught her completely off guard.
“Immediately, she just hopped onto my shoulder, and I thought, ‘You’re definitely not your typical wild pigeon,'” Ciardi shared.
Throughout the entire photo shoot, the pigeon steadfastly remained by Ciardi’s side, showing no inclination to leave.
“She just wanted to stay with me… she hopped on my head and just sat there,” Ciardi recounted. “She didn’t want to leave.”
With the friendly pigeon perched atop her head, Ciardi returned inside MCASAC’s building. Observing her behavior, the shelter staff concluded that she must have been domesticated at some point, craving human companionship above all else.
They affectionately named her Valley and decided to put her up for adoption, ensuring she found a loving family who could provide the companionship she sought.
“It felt like she somehow knew this was the right place to be, that we were people who were going to care about her and take care of her,” Ciardi reflected.
Before long, Valley’s story caught the attention of a woman from New Jersey, who instantly fell in love with her and traveled all the way to Maryland to bring her home. Now, Valley enjoys her days in her forever home, exploring and roaming freely.
While some may not immediately consider pigeons as pets, they have a rich history of companionship with humans. Ciardi highlighted that pigeons thrive as pets, and many people appreciate their gentle nature and companionship.
“Humans and pigeons have this history of working together and being friends… Pigeons that you see outside are the exact same pigeons people have inside as pets, and they thrive as pets,” Ciardi explained. “You meet them and you realize they’re these very gentle, very friendly, really beautiful pets. I wish people realized that about them.”
Although Ciardi has encountered numerous birds in her line of work, none have been quite as outgoing and affectionate as Valley.