Pets of Our Lives: Part One - Pigeons

I mean besides the gunk filled eye rat-dogs that the not-so-religious ladies carried, there were the pigeons. Not exactly the most cuddly beast on the street, but there were lots of them, they were pretty friendly if you fed them and best of all, you didn't have to take them home or clean up after them.

Florence at 17 or 18



Often, going to the zoo or any other place outside, the pigeons were as important as what we were there for.

My father and my sister, age 3
at the South Seaport



By the time I came around, "rats on wings" had entered New York vocabulary. Besides, I was partial to sparrows and feral cats. Still, the peace of those old photos filled me today as I watched the homeless man share his food with his pets.

Small Plaza by
Penn Station