Doves mate for life. They symbolize purity,love, fidelity,prosperity and good luck. They are a symbol of peace in every major religion. They are often used by God as messengers and representatives of the Holy Spirit.
We use the term "dove" symbolically. The birds at Earth's Angels are actually White Homing Pigeons; also called White Racing pigeons, or Rock Doves. There are two main differences between doves and pigeons: Doves are generally smaller than pigeons and doves do NOT have the ability to survive or return home if released. Doves and pigeons are comparible to standard and minature poodles; just as the standard poodle is bigger and stronger than the minature poodle, the pigeon is bigger and stronger than the dove. The pigeon is gifted with its homing instinct, the dove is not.
White ringneck DOVES ( those used in magic acts) are raised domestically and depend on humans for food. they have no skills to avoid predators, and they are not strong flyers. If released these birds will most likely starve to death as they do not know how to look for food unless it is directly in front of them.. They will most likely end up as a meal for a cat, a hawk, or some other predator.. Releasing white ringneck doves is cruel and inhumane.
So how do the pigeons find their way home? Homing Pigeons have an uncanny ability that enables them to read the earth's magnetic fields, in addition to this ability they have a remarkable memory. They also use their sight, hearing, and possibly even their sense of smell to find their way home from hundreds of miles away.
The birds at Earth's Angels begin training for our release service at an early age. This training continues until the birds retire. Our birds are vaccinated yearly, treated for parasites as needed and fed a diet formulated for their individual needs. Our birds are well cared for and loved. Their health and safety are our top priority.
