Animal rights activists angry

Are white doves a cruel marriage ritual?

(Bild: popovich22 - stock.adobe.com)

They are seen as a symbol of love and peace and are often released at weddings. This is causing a stir on social media, especially in Traun. Animal rights activists have been criticizing this custom for years, but a local breeder refuses to accept this.

"My son saw a wedding party with a cage containing two white pigeons. I fear that they were released as a lucky charm," wrote a woman from Traun on Facebook, triggering a flood of comments. "This should be banned" can be read there, as well as "I don't understand why today's society has to make everything bad."

"They hardly stand a chance in the wild"
Harald Hofner from Tierparadies Schabenreith in Steinbach am Ziehberg has caught and rehabilitated around ten to 20 white pigeons over the years. "People call us and say there's a white pigeon on the roof". The animal welfare activists then go out and try to attract the bird with food and catch it. "They hardly stand a chance in the wild. Their white plumage makes them visible to birds of prey from afar and therefore easy prey. They are also too slow and don't know any danger," explains Hofner.

"This is torture breeding"
The animals are bred by breeders for special occasions over generations, and a lot of genetic information is lost in the process. "White feathers are not natural, this is torture breeding," says the animal rights activist.

"Have a great sense of direction"
Pigeon breeder Johann Langthallner from Hagenberg is not prepared to accept these accusations. "I have around 35 white pigeons, they were all born as racing pigeons, have a great sense of direction and reliably return home after their weddings," says Langthallner. That's why he doesn't sell his birds - you can "rent" them, so to speak. Within a radius of 25 kilometers, this costs 140 euros, and he offers his services up to a maximum distance of 120 kilometers. After take-off, the birds circle for around ten minutes, then they would make their way home. From May to September, he has one or two weddings almost every weekend and loses one or two pigeons per season.