Oakland Firefighters Give Pigeon Oxygen, Video Hits 5M Views

A pigeon walked up to Oakland firefighters last Sunday morning and got the medical attention it desperately needed.

Engine 29 had just put out a vehicle fire beneath a highway overpass on 75th Avenue in East Oakland when the bird approached them around 6:15 a.m. The pigeon appeared to be suffering from smoke inhalation, struggling to breathe in the aftermath of the blaze.

The firefighters didn't hesitate. They cupped an oxygen mask over the bird's face and let it breathe clean air for several minutes.

Moments later, the pigeon flew away. The crew disposed of the mask to prevent spreading germs between patients, just like they would with any emergency call.

The Oakland firefighters' union posted a 15-second video of the rescue on Instagram Tuesday night. By the time the story broke, it had already surpassed 5 million views.

Sunny's Take

The comments section turned into a love letter to compassion. One person wrote, "I hope that man's pillow is always cold, his lights always green, and his sleep always restful." That comment alone received over 40,000 likes.

"This is what my tax dollars are for," another wrote, racking up more than 90,000 likes. Someone imagining the pigeon's perspective said the bird must have perceived it as a "religious experience."

One commenter offered historical context that resonated with thousands. "Reminder that we domesticated pigeons and then abandoned them when they were no longer useful to us," they wrote. "This is literally the least we can do."

Oakland has a quiet history of caring for its smallest residents. Three years ago, neighbors and an Animal Control officer spent three hours rescuing a duckling that fell into a storm drain on Lakeshore Avenue, reuniting it with its mother. In 2021, a resident transported two wounded domestic ducks from Lake Merritt to a Marin County sanctuary.

These firefighters showed up for a bird the way they'd show up for anyone in distress, and millions of people recognized that kindness knows no boundaries.