Liala HelalA coop of about 35 racing pigeons was stolen from a St. Paul yard Monday night or early Tuesday morning, according to St. Paul Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Paul Paulos.
The pigeons were valued at about $1,000.
“There were two coops there, and the owner feels that they [thieves] must’ve known what they were doing because they did take the racing pigeons and left the other pigeons behind,” Paulos said.
The owner told police that he believes the pigeons will be used to breed other pigeons, or sold to other breeders.
Paulos took to Twitter late Wednesday morning to ask for information on this “unique thing,” he said.
A coop of racing pigeons were stolen from the 1500 block of Huron last night.Any information please call 651-266-5632.
— St. Paul Police PIO (@sppdPIO) November 13, 2013
“We don’t get too many of these,” he said. “I mean, when you come home with a bag full of pigeons, somebody’s gonna see ya.”
He said the breed, racing pigeons, are birds that are like pets.
“They’re not your normal, every day, under the skyway pigeons,” Paulos said. “They’re sort of like cats or dogs.”
Paulos said it’s not illegal to race pigeons, and it’s an old tradition.
