Idaho White Release Doves

A Breath of Heaven Lofts

NOTE:Photos are for our customers' benefit. We do not appreciate those who would represent our work as their own - copyright infringement. Copying of the text or images without expressed written consent of A Breath of Heaven Doves is prohibited. All photos and content, unless otherwise stated, © 2003-2008 A Breath of Heaven Doves. All rights reserved.

	During the warmer seasons, our pure white birds take a special bath in their own luxurious salts prior to your event.
	Our doves are on a special feeding schedule in order to make soiling on you & your guests an unlikely occurence;
	A Breath Of Heaven doves fly safely home to their cozy loft in our garden, where they receive loving care and pampering. We try to make life a touch of Heaven for our doves!

Our Doves: Release doves are pure white homing pigeons, also known as "rock doves." (In many languages, the word used to refer to a pigeon or a dove are one and the same.)**; Our particular strains of these Rock Doves have been carefully bred by amongst the best white homing pigeon breeders in the United States. They have been bred smaller than the average pigeon, and have also been bred for their pure white coloration. Our birds have been painstakingly raised (most were hatched here at our lofts), vaccinated, wormed, and nourished with an extensive health program. They have been through months of careful training. (Yes, our vehicles have racked up many, many miles and tanks of gas, lol!) Every measure has been taken to ensure that these birds are well-cared-for and well-managed in every way possible.

What happens to the doves once they are released?
They circle together in the air, and then fly back home. The doves enjoy flying. They also love being home at their loft in our flower garden. We treasure our doves - once they arrive home, they will be lovingly pampered!

Why are members of the White Dove Release Professionals opposed to me having birds shipped for self-release or for breeders to supply birds I can just go pick up from their house?
Breeders who ship birds for self-release know quite clearly that their birds will essentially be turned into the wild to fend for themselves and have no hope of returning to their home. When these bird shipments arrive to the "customer," the doves are thirsty and hungry and unclean from sitting in the cardboard box. They are of low quality (otherwise, the breeder wouldn't have discarded of the birds) and are often in poor health. The breeder's only concern is to make money. They are referred to as "feather merchants" and have little to no concern for the wellfare of the animals.

Because we love our doves,WDRP members also oppose birds made available for clients to come and pick-up. The birds will be kept in their cardboard boxes, improperly attended to. They may be left in the sun or poor weather for extended periods of time, perhaps left in a hot car, etc. They are released, regardless of the weather conditions, regardless of the time of evening, and without knowledgeable regard for the safety or comfort of these precious and lovely birds.

In contrast, dove release professionals make the birds' safety their foremost concern. They attend every release in order to guarantee a well-timed, well-placed release. They know how to place the equipment for the safest and most dramatic affect. They watch the birds constantly prior to the release, attending to their comfort and safety and protecting them from bad situations. Rather than a cardboard box, quality, attractive, ventillated equipment is used for the releases. Between the care of the birds and the dramatic difference in the quality of the release, there is no comparison between the beauty of a professional release and what a feather merchant fails to offer.

What would happen if I released doves that I buy from the pet store?
Release Yourself will answer this question for you in detail - but this is an issue of serious concern for those who truly care about the birds' very lives and well-being.

Can doves be released indoors?
No, indoor releases pose multiple problems regarding the safety of the birds as well as the traumatic outcome of such releases. There are a few "horror stories" circulating in the dove release industry regarding unethical indoor releases. It is absolutely un-natural for the birds to perform indoors, and the circumstances are far different from the freedom and joy they are given when released outdoors.

Will the birds make a mess on my guests?
In order to prevent this occurence as much as is possible, we monitor their feeding prior to your event.

Why can't the birds be released after sunset?
It is important to differentiate between sunset and darkness: The birds must have plenty of time prior to sunset for safely navigating their way home. Our coordinator will consult a sunset chart and consider the distance of the flight in order to pre-determine safe release times for the doves. It would be unethical to release them later than this, and possibly be forcing the birds to land somewhere unfamiliar -- hungry and thirsty, and where they become easy prey for predators. As you can probably imagine, we would never want to compromise the safety of our birds, and want to protect each and every one...

What happens if the handler determines the weather is unfavorable for releasing the doves?
We will issue a full refund to you. Of course, we will go out of our way not to disappoint you, but will also always make the birds' safety our primary concern. Surely that is your desire, as well.

Do you have names for all of your birds? How do you tell them apart?
Many pigeon fanciers like us love our birds and consider them part of our families. So naturally, we have given many, many of our birds names. And though they look very much alike, our doves all have their own distinct personalities and many vary slightly in features of one sort or another. However slight the variances are, with all of the time we spend with them, it is possible to learn these minute variances in most individuals.

Most importantly, each bird has a permanent American Racing Pigeon Union band slipped onto his/her leg at about 1 week of age. After this, the band can never be removed, nor will it slip off as the bird grows. Each band's number is unique -- there isn't another bird in the world with that same birth year/band number combination in the ARPU. With permanent bands, every bird is easily distinguishable from the others, and ownership can be traced to us.

ARPU band

There are too many kids in this tub!...

Proud members of the American Racing Pigeon Union