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Last month, while driving home from the gym, I found a baby pigeon stranded in the middle of Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. He was hardly moving. There were no other pigeons around. He looked exhausted. 

Then I remembered when you find an injured animal there’s one go-to place in the area: the 

Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota

On Wednesday, I got to catch up with the pigeon — he’s doing well and will be released this weekend with his new, bonded flock. Tami Vogel, executive director of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, gave me a tour of the new, expanded Grant Campus in rural Washington County. 

“Every single animal that comes to us is brought to us by someone like you,” Vogel said. “May and June were our top two busiest months in our 45-year history, we had more than 9,100 animals come through our doors in 61 days.”

This little pigeon was one of that 9,100. The WRC says it’s admitted more than 13,900 patients so far in 2024 — 2,500 ahead of last year’s pace. Among them are 153 species, 42 of which are represented by a single animal. 

“You wanna go see your pigeon? He has the most beautiful markings.”

He really is beautiful, with unique white spotted markings on his head, distinguishing him from the rest of the flock. 

“He had left the nest a little too early and or become separated from mom and dad. So you literally found him within the nick of time — another day or two wouldn't have turned out well for him,” Vogel said.

His chances seemed far slimmer, as I found the pigeon in the middle of the road at Hennepin Avenue and North Seventh Street in downtown Minneapolis and was worried he’d be hit by a car.

The WRC gets beloved animals like our state and national birds, but they also get less beloved critters like raccoons, squirrels and pigeons — who some consider pests. So why help those?

“I think it goes back to… suffering and compassion. Someone makes the time to bring us an animal. We are a hospital. We will do our best we can by the animal,” Vogel explained.

“I don’t know about you, but I get mentally drained from the news cycle, right? And 5 minutes just watching people in our lobby is a balm to my soul.”

Good luck, buddy. I wish you and your flock well!

The WRC in Roseville has released 520 baby animals reunited with their families into the wild this year. It’s in the midst of transforming a 22-acre farmstead into a 25,000-square-foot rehab center. They say it’s a $14.5 million project and have gotten a $5 million donor gift to help, but are in the early process of a capital campaign. So far, the WRC has installed more than $400,000 in permanent caging in Grant.

If you find an injured animal, the WRC advises you to bring it directly to the center and 

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Sven Sundgaard

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If you find an injured animal in the Twin Cities area, there’s one go-to place that can help: the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Roseville. They just had their busiest May-June ever.

Sven Sundgaard catches up with the pigeon he rescued at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center

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