NEW YORK – A New York City gal is going viral because she brings her friend—”Pidge” the purse pigeon—on all of her adventures in the Big Apple.
“It’s a unique pet that’s really, really ethical,” said Pigeon’s owner, Abby Jardin. “And it’s a good thing for him—so I think there’s something there that people kind of latch onto.”
A comment on TikTok proclaimed, “I’ll never skip a purse pigeon post,” the videos racking up millions of views—it all started when Abby Jardine found Pidge near her apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
“I was walking around the corner from where I live, and I saw him sitting on the trash can, basically,” the 26-year-old said. “And I was like, ‘something looks wrong.’ I didn’t fully realize how young he was at the time, but I contacted a wildlife rescue and they were like, he’s a baby. He really shouldn’t have left the nest yet.”
On their advice, Abby takes Pidge—and just knows it’s the right decision.
“I took her up and she just immediately kind of bonded and that was that—it’s like there’s really no going back. And then afterwards I learned that they live 15 to 20 years as a pet and like 2 to 3 on the street. So I didn’t able to do that to him after about 24 hours. And here we are.”
In Abby’s words: Pidge was: “one of the best things that ever happened to her” and is now an advocate for all pigeons.
“Most people don’t know that they’re actually pets—everyone that’s out in the city. They’re descended from carrier pigeons. So they have a gentle energy and if you spend enough time with them, they will get super comfortable.”
Abby adds that pigeons are very clean, any vet who treats birds can treat pigeons and how she discovered that her pigeon is a girl-Pidge has a little surprise for her.
“When we first saw him, we arbitrarily thought, this is a boy and we called him, ‘she.’ And then at a certain point, if they reach an age when they start laying eggs, that’s how you know it’s a girl. And that’s what happened. One day she was just sitting on my bed and then there was an egg—she’s a girl. So, this is like a gender reveal, in a way.”
And like most New Yorkers, Pidge enjoys riding the subway, fine dining, and pigeon watching… or should we say people watching?
“There was a pair of pigeons that would come and land on the window, and I thought they were friends because it was always the same pair and they were socializing,” Jardine added. “But other than that, she kind of just sticks with us. I don’t know if she thinks she’s a person or if she thinks we are pigeons.”
FOX 5 New York can confirm that Pidge is potty trained—and handles her business on command—something many New Yorkers can’t say about their four-legged friends.
