ASHBY — Chief Derek Pepple is pleased to report that the Ashby Police Department’s Animal Control Officer reunited a lost pigeon with its owner, a man from Ashburnham whose birds were scared off by a hawk.
Animal Control Officer Victoria Gallant was called to the Ashby Fire Department, 1093 Main St, on Wednesday afternoon, after an all-white pigeon that did not appear to be afraid of humans walked into the station.
The bird remained in the station, resting on fire apparatus, until firefighters were able to corral it into a workout room and call ACO Gallant.
ACO Gallant arrived to find the bird still hanging out in the workout room as an Ashby Firefighter worked out.
The bird was not afraid of humans and was clearly a domesticated pet, so ACO Gallant corralled the bird without further incident, and began efforts to locate its owner.
ACO Gallant made a social media post seeking the public’s help with finding the bird’s owner, and also called a phone number that was found on a tag on the bird’s leg.
On Thursday, ACO Gallant received an excited call from the pigeon’s owner, an Ashburnham man who arrived at the police station to pick up the bird less than 25 minutes after he first called.
The owner reported that the missing bird, as well as two others that he owns, were scared off by a hawk earlier in the week. The owner continues to search for two other white pigeons that were scared off.
Ashby Police ask anyone with information on the whereabouts of the other two birds to contact Ashby Police at 978-386-5652.
“I want to thank ACO Gallant for her great work on this incident,” said Chief Pepple. “I think this is Ashby’s first ever case of a missing bird being reunited with its owner, and we have our terrific animal control officer to thank for making sure this story had a happy ending.”