What is the sad truth about pigeons?

The sad truth about pigeons is that despite being intelligent, loyal, and historically important to humans, they are often misunderstood, persecuted, and suffer hardships in urban environments. Pigeons, especially feral rock pigeons found in cities, are descendants of domesticated pigeons that humans brought to cities for food, messaging, and companionship, then abandoned, so they are essentially homeless domestic animals trying to survive in harsh urban conditions with little natural habitat. They face many dangers including starvation, harsh weather, vehicle collisions, poisoning from rat poison and other toxins, being hunted by hawks, cats, and dogs, and being deliberately harmed by people who view them as pests. Many pigeons have deformed feet due to human hair and string entangling their toes in cities, causing pain and loss of toes. They often suffer from diseases and parasites and have short lives in cities, typically 3 to 5 years though they can live 15 years in captivity. Despite being highly intelligent, able to recognize faces, navigate hundreds of miles, and form strong pair bonds and devoted parenting, they are often dismissed as dirty rats with wings and subjected to cruel control methods like spikes and netting that injure them. Their droppings are more a result of human feeding and poor waste management than their fault. The sad truth is that pigeons are products of human domestication left to fend for themselves.