Photos by Brittney Rokicki
Audio By Carbonatix
Brickell and downtown Miami residents are up in arms after a video captured a person manhandling trapped pigeons and roughly stuffing them into a trash bag on what appears to be the roof of the Neo Vertika condominium building.
In the video originally posted to the Brickell and Downtown Miami Living Facebook group on Wednesday, the man is seen taking the pigeons one by one from a cage with food in it as they fly around frantically. He then puts them in the bag, twists it closed and stuffs it into a bucket, according to the video. At one point he appears to shake a bird inside the bag. The post, which accused the man of killing the birds, also included two photos of the caged pigeons throughout the day prior to the incident.
“So the New Vertika building has apparently decided it doesn’t like how many pigeons are flying about in Brickell and is going to kill them one-by-one on full display to their neighbors,” the post reads. “Forcing us to watch them get caught and be distressed in a cage all day before the inevitable happens the next morning. Awful.”
FWC and Neo Vertika have not returned New Times‘ requests for comment. Pine River Realty, whose website says the firm specializes in Neo Vertika sales and rentals, told New Times it was not aware of the video.
Brittney Rokicki, the woman behind the video and photos, lives in a building nearby. She tells New Times she and other residents had seen the cage on the roof from their balconies for over a week and yesterday was the first time they saw someone come and grab the birds inside. They were horrified by what happened.
“The video says it all!” Rokicki says. “But aside from cruelty to the birds, there are MANY apartments and balconies that look at this scene, and it’s an awful experience for us too. I’d like to relax on my balcony and not feel like I’m looking at a crime scene.”
Photo by Brittney Rokicki
She says neighbors have complained and even called the police. A Miami Police Department spokesperson confirmed to New Times that the police responded to the building last night after receiving a call at 7:18 p.m. The officers, according to the spokesperson, spoke to management but no report was generated.
The footage Rokicki shared it online was filmed from her balcony. Residents flooded the post with comments, calling the man’s actions inhumane and cruel.
“There’s no way this is legal??” one comment reads.
Another added, “Omg can that not be reported? That’s animal cruelty. This made me want to throw up.”
One added, “Heartless, killing them by hand! Isn’t that animal abuse?? Florida Fish and Wildlife should be contacted 100%.”
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) rules prohibit the use and placement of bird traps without a permit. Captured nuisance wildlife, which is defined as animals that “cause property damage, present a threat to public safety, or cause an annoyance within, under or upon a building,” must be released legally or euthanized humanely within 24 hours of capture, according to the FWC website.
The rock pigeon, commonly known as the city pigeon, is considered a non-native and invasive bird in Florida. The species is not protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Under Florida Statute 828.12 titled “Cruelty to animals,” an individual who unnecessarily overloads, overdrives, torments, deprives of necessary sustenance or shelter, or unnecessarily mutilates, or kills any animal… in a cruel or inhumane manner, commits animal cruelty,” a first-degree misdemeanor.
