The flight of a white dove gives brilliance to a wedding as well as a funeral. They are even recyclable, not like natural flowers.
“The perfect symbol of love in a festive wedding ceremony,” states the Love Doves New York company website. “It is a special gift for the loved one who is saying goodbye. As an alternative to floral remembrance, the release of a dove can provide warmth and comfort at a funeral,” she says about the opposite pole in terms of the meaning of commemoration.
The use of animals, in this time of high sensitivity, requires a lot of tact. “Our goal is to ensure a respectful and professional atmosphere, as well as the safety of the birds,” he emphasizes. To understand his service, it is explained that, on the day of the event, an expert trainer goes to the place, “dressed appropriately for the occasion”, one hour before the release.
The birds go in a decorated box. Guests can admire them. They are released by hand, during daylight hours with margin before night falls to guarantee their return. It is promised that they will “soar high into the sky and circle side by side producing a beautifully memorable sight.”
The theory is very good, but it does not convince everyone. Not at least to several New York City Council members who filed a petition to ban the commercial release of birds. This law will make illegal the activity of those individuals who make winged birds fly for remuneration or buy and maintain them for that purpose.
According to Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, the objective is to clip the wings, metaphorically speaking, of a cottage industry that profits from white pigeons and turtledoves, which are also covered by this legislation, flying out of their cages into the sky.
“This release of birds is just a harmful way to mark weddings, gender reveals and memorials,” Rivera told The City, the local website.
This council member represents an area of Manhattan that includes Madison Square Park, where this year a white dove that had been dyed pink was found dead. Everything indicates that she fell due to inhaling toxic vapors from the dye after being released at a party to reveal the sex of the baby a pregnant woman was carrying.
“This is totally unnecessary, things can go very wrong,” Rivera stressed.
Chicago has a precedent, but New York raises the bar in a city where there is a subculture that has attracted obsessive pigeon fanciers and bird racing promoters for decades. There are clubs that date back at least to the 19th century.
On the other hand, animal rights activists support and push this legislation. Allie Taylor, president of the organization Voters for Animal Rights, noted that these domesticated birds often die once they are released, a tradition that, according to her, is back in fashion online. social.
The problem is that, once released, the winged ones are totally confused and don't know where to go. One of the examples of this poor treatment occurred last spring. A non-profit organization (Wild Bird Fund) had to go out to rescue thirteen white pigeons due to an incident on the Brooklyn Bridge after being released at a wedding. Some of these birds were gangly royal pigeons that do not fly well and are usually raised for food, according to the Wild Bird Fund. Others were carrier pigeons whose instinct supposedly guides them back home, whenever the weather and predators allow.
Since the city does not require registration or a property license, it is difficult to know how many of these birds are fed for symbolic purposes. Breeders and suppliers of white pigeons maintain that they do not abandon them. Some of the collaborators in the sector claim to have even 62 couples and return home.
“Since there have been historical records, white birds have been a symbol of purity, holiness, fidelity and love,” says another company's website.
