New York Neighbors Fight Over Feeding Pigeons
17 Feb 2010
By Matthew Nestel, Liz Sadler and Bill Sanderson

(New York Post) - A New York City woman who loves birds so much she changed her name to Dove said she was attacked by a neighbor who flew into a rage when he caught her feeding pigeons, the New York Post reported Wednesday.

But retired teacher Arthur Schwartz said the woman is a known birdbrain whose scattered seed attracted rats.

The feathers started flying Saturday when Schwartz caught Anna Dove, formerly known as Augusta Kugelmas, tossing seeds to pigeons near his apartment on East 93rd Street.

“It’s disgusting,” said Schwartz, 61.

“There are rats every day. They eat this stuff.

“That’s my objection. She’s feeding the rats.”

Schwartz admitted he got so angry that he grabbed her bag of birdseed and tossed it over a fence. A passerby saw the confrontation and called 911.

But Schwartz and his wife took wing and drove off before the cops showed up.
Dove, 63, insisted she was the victim.

“The guy was violent," she said.

"I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a weapon the next time."

Dove filed a police report charging Schwartz with poking and shoving her.
Her hobby led to trouble in the past. In 2003, Dove was accused of assaulting Parks Department volunteer Carol McCabe after she pointed out to Dove that feeding pigeons in parks violated city rules.

“She got angry. She threw birdseed at my face,” McCabe said Tuesday, adding she obtained a restraining order against Dove.

“Some of the birdseed scratched the white of my eye."

She also described Dove as “a little kooky.”

But Dove believed she had a right to feed birds.

“People feeding birds are being victimized,” she said.

“It’s got to stop. I’m representing all people that feed birds.”

Dove helped found the New York Bird Club, a group devoted to “supporting efforts to preserve avians living in the wild.” On its website, the club expresses support for the Animal Liberation Front, which the Department of Homeland Security named as a terrorist threat in 2005.

Outside of parks, New York has no rules against pigeon feeding. But under the sanitation code, spreading seed on a sidewalk can be deemed littering.

Source: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/ dove_vs_hawk_in_feed_war_7ahR0UEhME5dnwERL2RknN