Episode 513: Elizabeth Young on the Beauty of Pigeons

This week Jasmin talks to Elizabeth Young from Palomacy about the differences between pigeons and doves, the pigeon advocacy and rescue work of Palomacy, the myths about pigeons she is trying to dispel, including that they are “dirty,” and how a life-long love of animals guided her from UC Berkley graduate to the work of rescuing pigeons. She also gives us an overview of what pigeons are like and why they are “trending up.”

Elizabeth grew up in Las Vegas, graduated with a degree in English from UC Berkeley, worked 13 years on the front lines of the war on poverty as a nonprofit director to reduce poverty and develop self-reliance, spent 6 years making educational toys and in 2007 became an accidental pigeon rescuer. Elizabeth has always loved all animals and had no special interest in pigeons when she began volunteering at the San Francisco Animal Care & Control shelter except concern when she learned they were coming into shelters but not getting out. They were the only animals who had no one helping them. All the others, the dogs and cats, rabbits and rats, parrots and snakes, farmed animals and wildlife, all had at least one rescue to help them. Elizabeth hadn’t intended to start a rescue but she helped a pigeon named Gurumina and then another named Rocky and… now with Palomacy, has saved the lives of more than 1000 directly and helped countless others across the country and beyond. www.PigeonRescue.org & @PigeonDiplomacy

In the intro to the show, Jasmin and Mariann discuss some recent Saturday Night Live sketches about eating animals and the foie gras ban, Jasmin’s trip to Denver for her new consulting gig, and the queen’s decision to ditch fur! Later in the episode, Mariann brings us Rising Anxieties.

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As always, the award-winning weekly Our Hen House podcast is hosted by Mariann Sullivan and Jasmin Singer.

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This episode is brought to you in part through the generosity of A Well-Fed World. A Well-Fed World provides the means for change by empowering individuals, social justice organizations, and political decision makers to embrace the benefits of plant-based foods and farming. Learn more at awfw.org.

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The Our Hen House theme song is written and sung by the incredible Michael Harren, who is also OHH’s Director of Communications! Don’t forget to tune into Our Hen House’s other two podcasts: The Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan Podcast, and The Animal Law Podcast.