Hopes Wings Sanctuary and Rescue

08/02/2025

Hope Wings Steps Up to Help

The ducks are now safe at Memorial Garden Park, thanks to Hope Wings Sanctuary and Rescue. Many community members were concerned about the well-being of the ducks at Comanche Trail South Park due to the ongoing pond liner replacement project.

Recognizing the need for assistance, our Parks and Recreation Department welcomed support, and Hope Wings quickly stepped in yesterday to help. Their swift action ensured the ducks were safely relocated.

Today, they went out there once again to feed the ducks! We are incredibly grateful for their dedication and commitment to protecting local wildlife!

08/02/2025

We brought the whole Hopes Wings crew to the lake to bring a huge bag of food for everyone! The ducks we rescued last night have already made friends with the locals! They were so happy they didn’t even act nervous when we were walking around them which is a huge change from less than 24 hous ago! 🥰

08/02/2025

I want to introduce you to Whisp (who is currently enjoying some fresh morning air from our screen curtained patio). Whisp arrived several months ago nothing more than a few feathers on a skeleton 🥺. He had been attacked by a hawk and has neurological issues as a result of the attack. Slowly I was able to nurse him back to health and along the way I started musing over his sweet and calm personality, thinking he may be a good fit for our one winged champion Sicily. I introduced them but Sicily was NOT having it and chased him off. But Whisp was in love and so he kept trying. Their romance has played out like Wall-E and Eve. She would ignore him, he would bring her treats and sticks and sit at a distance staring at her adoringly. Eventually I saw her standing closer and closer to him. She still won’t let him groom her but she has finally come to the point where she enjoys his company and likes being near him. Sicily is still the most complex case we’ve ever had trauma wise but I love that Whisp is showing her every day that she is so loved. Three cheers for this sweet, patient, persistent boy.

08/02/2025

We had a BIG undertaking tonight!! Odessa Parks and Rec called us about a group of ducks that needed moved from Comanche trail to the Pond by Music City. The Comanche pond has been drained for some time and this tightly bonded flock desperately needed a new pond. They had called everywhere and no one was willing to help them 🥺. But thankfully the last call they made was to me. Cassey, her hubby and I headed down to Comanche and waited for it to get dark. We herded the flock out of the mud pit and up to the picnic pagodas, using a strobe light. Then we were able to safely catch them in a giant fishing net 2-3 at a time. We had the help of a trail walker as well and appreciated him so much! Once they were all loaded in, we took them to their new home and they were beyond thrilled to have water again!! Thank you Odessa Parks for caring enough about these sweet little ducks to not give up till you found the help they needed 🫶🏻
Edit to add photos of feeding them the next day! 🥰 We want to take duck pellets down for a few days to make sure everyone down there has a good start, we could really use donations towards a few bags for them! Donations can be made to our PayPal or anyone is welcome to take a bag of duck feed by snd feed them! Just don’t go feed them bread! Frozen peas are great or duck pellets!

06/02/2025

This is an excellent article from a fellow rescue regarding pigeons and avian influenza. Pigeons are remarkable in that they have one of the strongest resistances to the virus. It is extremely rare to see the infection in pigeons. That said, I still practice strict quarantine and biosecurity protocols with all intakes. Knowledge, awareness and trusting in science is key. I will continue to operate with extreme caution and am constantly monitoring for any concerning patterns or cluster deaths in local flocks of all species both within the community and the region. We will be taking it day by day, case by case. There may come a time where we have to adjust but at this point we will continue to serve our community with safety as top priority. 🫶🏻

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18tiMA5vJp/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), also called Bird Flu, has been a global health concern for many years. This year it has spread from waterfowl to cows, cats, raptors, and even a seal. The Great Lakes Pigeon Rescue board of directors is regularly monitoring the scientific literature for the latest information, and, as always, working closely with our avian veterinarian partners. With regards to pigeons specifically: pigeons are dead-end hosts, which means they do not shed or transmit the disease. In studies where pigeons were given different strains of the avian influenza virus through different methods, they showed no signs of illness and did not spread the virus. Research on pigeon populations around the world found that only a small percentage of pigeons showed antibodies related to the HPAI virus and are “ineffective propagators and disseminators of the virus” as they do not shed the virus to infect other species.

Even though pigeons are not currently a vector for HPAI, this is an opportunity to remind everyone in our community that thorough hand hygiene and diligent biosecurity is always important among birds, humans, and other species! Shoes are one of the easiest ways HPAI can be transmitted, so even if you are not in a waterfowl heavy area it is always wise to remove outdoor shoes before entering your home, and to keep a separate pair of shoes just for aviary use if applicable. Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 30 seconds before eating, food preparation, or touching your face. GLPR will continue our long-standing intake protocol for all newly rescued birds, which includes a minimum 2-week quarantine period in isolation and under close observation.

Please feel free to let us know if you have any questions. Be safe, and wash your hands!

References:

Abolnik C. A current review of avian influenza in pigeons and doves (Columbidae). Veterinary Microbiology. 2014 Jun 4;170(3-4):181-96. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24667061/

Motamed N, Shoushtari A, Fallah Mehrabadi MH. Investigation of Avian Influenza Viruses (H9N2-H5nx) in Pigeons during Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreaks in Iran, in 2016. Archives of Razi Vaccine Institute. 2020 Jun;75(2):197-203. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8418886/

Panigrahy B, Senne DA, Pedersen JC, Shafer AL, Pearson JE. Susceptibility of pigeons to avian influenza. Avian Diseases. 1996 Jul-Sep;40(3):600-4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8883790/

06/02/2025

I had just gotten home with the sweet little parakeet when a global pigeon rescue group I am part of on FB lit up with a post about 2 babies desperately needing help in Lubbock. Their parents had been killed by a predator 😭. Their amazing finders were able to meet me half way and I just got them back home and triaged. The smaller sibling has horrible canker, it’s top 5 worst cases I have seen and had completely blocked and filled her throat. Thankfully I was able to clear a large portion of the lesion out so she will be able to be tube fed more easily. I gave both a dose of metronidazole and they are snuggled in and fast asleep. It was a big big day for everyone!
These two officially kick off baby season for me! Welcome Waffles and Butters.

05/02/2025

Welcoming this sweet little ball of sunshine into Hopes Wings! This pretty girl was found at a work site in a diesel engine!! 😱. Her finders sent out an SOS and we came running!! She’s now resting in quarantine so I can keep a close eye on her diet and health but once she clears quarantine she will have a nice big flight cage to zoom around in!

12/01/2025

Sometimes a bird in need gets extra lucky! My husband and I were driving home from the hardware store and when we crossed over 42nd, I spotted a dove sitting in the center turn lane next to a giant truck’s tire! My husband being the amazing bird rescue assistant that he is, flipped an immediate U turn and was able to block the lane while I dove out of the car and scooped her up. She’s got a concussion and one eye is swollen shut but she’s alert and responsive. Considering her predicament, it could have been so much worse. With pain meds and emergency electrolytes on board, she is tucked into a warm, dark incubator for some much needed rest. She should be right as rain in a few days.
Welcome Lucky. 💚

09/01/2025

WONDERFUL UPDATE ON FERNGULLY!!!!
I spoke to South Plains Wildlife Rehab and Ferngully, the little oil soaked Northern Pintail duck I transported to Lubbock last week, has made a full recovery and was released back to the wild today!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉

09/01/2025

Freezes are so hard on our local bird populations. Please let us know right away if you find a bird who is struggling!! Please pick them up, place them in a box and get them someplace warm while contacting us for help! 💙❄️

04/01/2025

Last night we had a midnight intake for this sweet little Northern Pintail duck. She was found soaked in oil and in desperate need of help on an oil rig. Her guardian angels rushed her straight over to me and I triaged her, gave her a warm soapy bath with blue dawn dish soap and tucked her into a heated isolation kennel for the night. Since she is a migratory duck, my facilities would not be the right fit for her so I contacted South Plains Wildlife Rehab and was able to bring her to Lubbock today. Everyone cross your fingers for this sweet girl. I will call them for an update in a day or two to see how she’s doing. I named her Ferngully. 💚

01/01/2025

Happy New Year Everyone!!
Remember to fill with compassion, understanding and love for those that need it the most.

28/12/2024

As the time comes to start packing away our Holiday decorations, we would love to receive 5-6 live Christmas trees to use for creating aviary perches and enrichment! So instead of dropping it off at the dump or tossing it into a burn pile, we would be so greatful if you could bring yours to us. They must be untreated (no flocking or preserving spray) and without decorations, tinsel or hooks on them. Please let me know if you could bring yours by and I’ll let you know the address for drop off!!