New York City woman, 26, who rescued a pet PIGEON reveals how she 'potty trained' the bird to use a TOILET - and now carts it around in a purse with her everywhere she goes, from bars and restaurants to PLANES
A woman has revealed how she potty-trained her pet pigeon so she can take the bird with her everywhere she goes - carrying it around in a special purse and carting it to parties and restaurants.
Abby Jardine, who is based in Brooklyn, New York, has built up a fanbase of more than 2.2 million followers on TikTok, with viewers flocking to see her adventures with her unusual companion.
The 26-year-old rescued the bird - whom she has named Pidge - from a pile of garbage in May 2023 and has since formed an incredibly close bond with her, transforming the orphaned animal into what she refers to as a 'purse pigeon'.
Now, Abby takes her pet to all the best New York hotspots - including the finest restaurants, intimate soirees and wacky costume parties.
- Abby Jardine, who is based in Brooklyn, has revealed how she has potty-trained her pet pigeon in order to treat it to a luxurious lifestyle
- She built up a fanbase of more than 2.2 million followers on TikTok as viewers flock to see her adventures with her unusual companion
- The 26-year-old's unlikely sidekick is a 'purse pigeon,' creatively named Pidge, who she rescued from a garbage pile in May 2023
- The duo have since become fast friends and now Abby takes her pet to all the best New York hotspots - including the finest restaurants, intimate soirees and costume parties
Speaking about her very unique bond with the pigeon, animal lover Abby told the New York Post: 'I found her scared and alone by some trash near my apartment at three weeks old.
'She was just a baby, couldn't fly and shouldn't have been out of the nest.'
The party product developer contacted wildlife rehabilitation center Wild Bird Fund before scooping up the chick and taking it in for treatment.
Abby ultimately decided to adopt the hapless hatchling despite knowing very little about bird care.
'I had never owned a pigeon as a pet — I'm not even a bird person,' she admitted.
'But I did know that pigeons can be domesticated. When I saw how cute and friendly she was, I knew she was my forever baby.'
Abby set about teaching Pidge how to bathe, feed and use the toilet - and now transports her feathered friend around the Big Apple in a cream-colored leather tote bag.
'If I want to go out for drinks or dinner with friends, I just put her in my bag and she's down to roll,' she shared.
- Abby set about teaching Pidge how to bathe, feed and use the toilet - and now transports her feathered friend around the Big Apple in a cream-colored leather tote bag
- One of Abby's many videos documenting Pidge's upgraded lifestyle features the pet pigeon in a whole host of unusual situations - riding in an Uber, on a plane and attending lunch outings
- Animal-adoring Abby said about how the pair's friendship first took flight: 'I found her scared and alone by some trash near my apartment at three weeks old'
'She's super social and super chill, so we've never been kicked out of any bars or restaurants,' she said.
Abby added: 'If we're out somewhere, I just take her to the bathroom every 30 to 40 minutes, hold her over the toilet and she goes.
'I've tried to [make her go] over trash cans, and she's definitely wary of that. She prefers an actual bathroom.'
One of the content creator's many videos documenting Pidge's upgraded lifestyle features the pet pigeon in a whole host of unusual situations - riding in an Uber, on a plane and attending lunch outings.
According to Pet Travel Center, some US airlines do allow domesticated birds to travel in the cabin with their owners, provided they are transported in a kennel that fits safely under the seat.
The Pet Travel Center website states that Frontier, Spirit Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Delta, and United all permit birds in-cabin, however American, Southwest, and Jet Blue all require the animals to be transported in the cargo hold.
- She said that Pidge is 'super social and super chill, so we've never been kicked out of any bars or restaurants'
- The content creator added: 'If we're out somewhere, I just take her to the bathroom every 30 to 40 minutes, hold her over the toilet and she goes'
The clip was viewed more than 2.2 million times and was flooded with comments from followers who loved their inseparable bond
Unsurprisingly, Abby's video detailing her bird's lavish lifestyle quickly went viral, racking up more than 2.2 million views - and plenty of comments from bewildered viewers.
One person humorously wrote: 'It's a Birdkin bag!'
A second person added: 'My roman empire is pigeons. I would love to meet a pet pigeon.'
Another commented: 'It's hard to see other people living your dream.'
'He made it out the hood,' someone else comedically wrote.
One person wrote: 'I, too, would like an emotional support New York chicken.'
Another person added: 'Making all the other pigeons on the street jealousssssss.'
Another commented: 'DUDE his little domesticated heart is probably SO HAPPY.'
One person commented: 'Can you imagine his pigeon friends learning he lives in a fancy purse now??'
Another person jokingly added: 'Forget passenger princess, I wanna be a purse pigeon!'
'When she first pops her head out of the bag and opens her mouth, I'm envisioning her saying "material gwuuuul,"' one person wrote.
