White Dove Release
Our Birds
Doves and Rock Doves (Homing Pigeons) are in the same family of Columbidae. Their names are often used interchangeably and describe birds of the same family, who look similar but whose ability to find their way home is much different. Rock Doves are strong flyers with a natural homing ability. Once they have been released, they usually circle above in a group until they get their bearings and then head back home to their loft. They are capable of flying hundreds of miles in a single day.
​
Doves on the other hand, should never be released by release professionals because they lack the unique ability to find their way home.
​
The white doves we use at our White Dove Release events are pure white Rock Doves (Homing Pigeons). Our birds are loved members of our family. They have been handled since hatching and are properly trained for long distance returns. They are fed a high-quality nutritious diet. Each bird is banded for identification purpose and vaccinated as appropriate to maintain their excellent health.
​Their safety is our priority; your satisfaction is our promise.
​
How the birds Navigate
Trained doves used in our events are typically homing pigeons, which possess a natural "homing instinct" allowing them to return to their home loft over long distances. They are raised and trained in a specific home loft, familiarizing them with that location as their safe place. At the event, they are released away from their home loft and navigate back using cues such as the Earth's magnetic field, sun position, landmarks, and their sense of smell. This ability ensures they return safely to their caretakers after the event.
Homing pigeons have a long history of use in critical communication roles, especially during wartime, where their reliable navigation and message delivery were vital. For example, during World Wars I and II, homing pigeons carried messages in tiny capsules strapped to their legs, flying back to their lofts often located near command sites. Their success rate was high, around 95%, and they were sometimes released in groups to improve message delivery chances.
This natural homing ability and historical significance make them ideal for symbolic releases, where the birds' return symbolizes hope and remembrance.
Owners- Jim and Lorrie Pruett
As a young child growing up in the suburbs one would think we wouldn't have many animals, but that wasn't the case. We lived along a creek, so we would find injured animals like squirrels, crows, owls and hawks, raise them back to health, then release them back into the wild. At one point we even had a sign on our gate that read "City Zoo"
​
Along with the many wild animals, we also had a large Fish Pond, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Cats, a Dog, a Hamster and many Racing Pigeons.
Racing Pigeons, (Rock Doves) were my father's passion and his Hobby. My fondest memories were on race days. Our whole family would sit in the backyard, watching the Sky's waiting for the birds to come home from a race. My father taught me everything he knew about these birds.
Fast Forward to the present day.
My husband and I had the privilege of relocating and restoring my father's original loft along with a few of his retired birds to our home in west Petaluma.
​
It wasn't until one day as the birds flew over head, that our eyes were drawn to a pair of pure white birds against the bright blue sky, that we realized the true grace and beauty of those birds. It was at that moment we decided we wanted to introduce more pure white birds into our breeding program so that other people could experience the symbolic feeling we felt watching them fly overhead that day.
​
Now, not only does my father still enjoy lending a hand and watching the birds fly, so do our children and grandchildren. They love accompanying us on training exercises, holding the babies and helping in their everyday care.
​
These beautiful birds, have truly become a special part of our family and they will always have a special place in my heart.
About Us
The Loft
