Pigeons - America's next best friend?

I am passing this on from the Manhattan Bird Club forum because it talks about interesting facts and gives valid arguments for pro-pigeons:

To view the thread go to:
http://forums.manhattanbirdclub.com/post?id=4514867

Pigeons -- America's next best friend?

Dogs, America's favorite animal has a terrible parasite present in its feces. It is next to impossible to get rid of and causes worst illnesses then the pigeon poop everyone goes on about. I found out about the parasite when I had Lyme's because it is often an added problem to the Lyme's bug. Meantime people allow the dogs todefecateeverywhere, and although they supposedly pick it up, the feces is present in parks where children play. I’m not on a campaign to rid the country of dogs but to make a comparison of our states unusual way of thinking,
Please study these sites:
http://www.poopbutler.com/pooper-scooper-health.htm
http://vetmed.illinois.edu/petcolumns/showarticle.cfm?id=507
http://www.calltodoody.com/scoop_the_poop.html
The second aspect is that in Italy, one of the most historic countries in the world, people feed their pigeons and pigeons are almost a tourist attraction. By the way the buildings in Italy have managed to last for centuries, so........
The third aspect is that in Brooklyn and parts of NY there were pigeon coops everywhere and pigeons were a part of our cultural history. One has to look at "On the Waterfront" with Marlon Brando to see this, since as I remember there is a scene where he is tending his coop.
Pigeons eat stuff on sidewalks that would cause undue bacteria and more rats, and they are in fact little vacuum cleaners.
Here is a comment foundonan article on theWNYC.org website:
no, pigeons are not "rats with wings." According to the developers in the very last and precious wilds of PA and NJ, fawns are "rats with hooves." Life is precious, regardless of whatever epithet you use. Pigeons are doves. Humans only like the "white" doves and not the "coloreds." We live in a world where we demand that other sentient creatures -- either be of some service to humans (pets or food or entertainment) or they are "pests."
As a NY State licensed wildlife rehabilitator, I can assure everyone that pigeons do not spread diseases -- they have been domestic longer than "man's best friend" and so humans are completely immune to any of their commonly held diseases.
Most pigeons in the cities fall ill to man-made dangers and toxins such as drinking anti freeze out of desperation for water (there are little if any clean bird baths anywhere in the city) and/or being sliced into bits by shattered glass, run over by cars or trucks, chased by children, feet tangled in fishing wire left behind on any of our many water fronts, and the list goes on.
The most common cause of death in NYC pigeons is starvation.
I believe that if these logical facts are brought out then people may think differently and stop being so ignorant like they are from the Middle Ages.

Interesting stuff Petra!

Many people can be so blind to the diseases of 'accepted' pet species such as dogs and cats. And they call pigeons dirty!