This is a rock dove that we recently admitted to the Center. His feathers are coated in oil, which occasionally happens to animals living in urban environments. Right now he’s looking better than when he arrived, because we have started the process of getting the oil off. It involves daily baths with Dawn dish washing liquid, a very effective and safe cleaning agent for animals that have been coated with oil. It’s important to make sure that before you begin, the animal is in a stable condition. Taking multiple days and giving the animal the night to rest between treatments help make sure all the oil comes off, and also keeps the animal’s stress as low as possible.