PiCAS UK NEWS: PiCAS INTERNATIONAL TO CEASE WORKING WITH PeTA
August 27th, 2007 by 
PiCAS International
This week PiCAS International made the difficult decision to bring its longstanding working relationship with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA USA) to a close as a result of differences in approach to the issue of pigeon control. For a number of years PiCAS International has supported the work of PeTA in the USA where the provision of non-lethal and humane pigeon control systems are concerned and PeTA has, in turn, recommended the PiCAS approach widely.
Recently, PeTA made the decision to back a new oral contraceptive drug, OvoControl P, designed for use with pigeons and produced by an American pharmaceutical company called Innolytics (please see posts dated August 4th and August 6th 2007). PiCAS International made it clear to PeTA that it could not and would not back the use of a pharmaceutical drug when tried and tested and completely safe methods of birth control already exist in the form of PiCAS’ own egg removal/replacement programme. Other, more worrying issues have been raised in respect of the long-term use of OvoControl P where resistance to one of the most common causes of pigeon mortality is concerned - coccidiosis (please see comments posted on the August 4th post).
Although PiCAS International will no longer be working in tandem with PeTA over the issue of pigeon control, the PiCAS group still wholeheartedly supports the work of PeTA in other sectors of wildlife control and indeed its work to promote and maintain wildlife habitats.
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January 1st, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Arty Tovar says:
Why sever ties with Peta, best to work with your oponents than work against them, doors are closed, division becomes real and we all know what division can do, more harm than good.
United we stand, devided we fall comes to mind.
One bad apple, even two does not spoil the entire tree, let us not forget the good that Peta has done, lets not forget the good Picas has done.
Meeting in the middle can never happen as long as doors are closed.
The bird of peace will never find Peace as long as the door is closed.
I am a Animal Rescuer, I mainly rescue the bird of peace, I have my beliefs as you have yours, do you really believe getting the job done involves closing of doors, I struggle to end such division.
Closed doors solve NOTHING.
Arty Tovar
BrokenWing Wildlife Exotic Pigeon Rescue & Rehab
Editors note:
PiCAS International has always acknowledged the ground-breaking work undertaken by PeTA, and has always been an advocate of opening rather than closing doors between animal organisations, but when a group such as PeTA, with an international reputation, actively promotes a dangerous and potentially lethal drug to be force-fed to pigeon flocks….well, we simply cannot be associated, particularly as we were working in partnership with PeTA at the time. We tried to debate the issue with PeTA’s biologist, but it was abundantly clear that there was no compromise on the part of PeTA - they were determined to continue to promote OvoControl P, irrespective.