Despite cultural heritage status: 900 pigeons released for a race in the heat

On Sunday, the Reisevereinigung 04 Memmingen of the regional association 701 «Allgäu-Schwaben» planned a pigeon release in Memmingen.

900 birds were then supposed to find their way back 172 kilometres to their home loft. In a letter, PETA appealed to the veterinary office of the city of Memmingen to ban the event, which in its view violates animal welfare.

In such races, the animals are often deliberately separated from their partners or young. It is not ambition that drives them home, but their bond to the loft and their partner. Many of the domesticated birds die on the exhausting routes from dehydration, hunger, exhaustion or injuries. In view of the heatwave, PETA additionally warned of the danger that the pigeons might die of thirst en route because water sources are lacking.

If dogs were released hundreds of kilometres from their home for a competition, and a large proportion of them did not make it back, the outcry would be enormous.

Lisa Redegeld, specialist adviser at PETA

Redegeld demands that these races, which mean death for many pigeons, are finally stopped.

What the Animal Welfare Act says

Pigeon races are in conflict with the German Animal Welfare Act. Under Paragraph 3 it is prohibited to demand of animals feats that exceed their strength. Furthermore, during training or competitions animals may not be subjected to measures associated with considerable pain, suffering or harm. A study puts the loss rates in pigeon races at an average of 53 per cent per season. If birds fall short of expectations and are unsuitable for breeding, breeders often kill them without stunning.

Cultural heritage despite ongoing criticism

The Memmingen case shows that nothing has changed in this practice, even though carrier pigeon keeping has since been officially ennobled. In 2018 the German UNESCO Commission had still rejected its inclusion, among other reasons because of doubts about compliance with animal welfare legislation – more on this in the report «Carrier pigeon sport will not become German UNESCO cultural heritage Carrier pigeon sport will not become German UNESCO cultural heritage». In March 2022 carrier pigeon keeping was then nonetheless added to the nationwide inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. How this about-turn came about can be read in the article «Despite animal cruelty: carrier pigeon keeping to become intangible cultural heritage Despite animal cruelty: carrier pigeon keeping to become intangible cultural heritage».

Criticism of this recognition persists. In the specialist journal TIERethik, author Vanadis Faix appealed in 2025 for carrier pigeon keeping to be removed from the cultural heritage list again. In the critics' view, the cultural heritage status lends dignity to a practice in which a large proportion of the animals still do not survive the races.

The military romanticism no longer holds today

Those who emphasise the cultural significance of pigeon fancying often point to the animals' long history as messengers. This role was real: during the First World War, the German Empire deployed an estimated 120,000 carrier pigeons as military messengers, and from 1917 the Swiss Army maintained its own carrier pigeon service. Yet it is precisely this argument that is outdated. The Swiss Army disbanded its service in 1994 with the «Army 95» reform after 77 years, and the roughly 7,000 army pigeons were taken over by a foundation. Modern armed forces have long relied on electronic transmission. The military use invoked by tradition-keepers is thus a thing of the past everywhere. What remains is a leisure competition in which, according to studies, around half of the animals are lost each season. A historical usefulness that no longer exists does not justify this suffering.

More on animal rights and on the animal welfare problem.