Pigeon Capture Charges in New York Result in No Prison Time
A man from Pennsylvania was accused of capturing numerous New York City pigeons in a city park and selling them to hunters. This week, he managed to avoid prison time.
Dwayne Daley, 67, faced charges including animal cruelty after police discovered over 20 pigeons in his truck near Tompkins Square Park in April. He was charged with driving violations too.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office dismissed the case against Daley as part of a recent agreement. He was required to stay out of trouble for six months after his April 30 arrest, a condition that lapsed before his court date.
This resolution angered animal rights activists.
“Unlike Dwayne Daley, pigeons are part of New York City, and using them for shooting practice is both cruel and illegal,” commented John De Leonardo from Humane Long Island. His organization, along with others, claims that Daley has a history of capturing pigeons for a trade in Pennsylvania, selling them to gun clubs.
De Leonardo also noted Daley’s previous arrest for assault in 2021, which involved an incident where he allegedly hit a man while in a cage with pigeons in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
“Unless action is taken against pigeon poachers, other city residents—both human and animal—might be endangered,” he added.
A representative from the DA’s office stated, “We take allegations of animal cruelty very seriously, and our animal abuse program will continue investigating and prosecuting cases of abuse, neglect, and organized cruelty.”
Daley was unavailable for comment.
It’s illegal to take pigeons from public areas like city parks, which is deemed animal cruelty, according to the city’s 311 website.
Daley seems to have been involved in pigeon-related incidents for years. A 2007 New York Times article mentioned how charges against him from another pigeon-capturing event in the 2000s were also dismissed.
In a rather bold statement following his April arrest, Daley claimed, “I buy and sell birds all the time. They range from $4 to $8.” Meanwhile, prosecutors alleged that he had tortured, beaten, and neglected the pigeons, denying them essential food and water.
