SkyWatch Bird Rescue urges people not to feed injured birds they find

CASTLE HAYNE, NC (WWAY) — When you find an injured animal, your first instinct may be to give it food. But one group says that’s the worst thing you can do.

A dove was recently brought to the bird rescue after being attacked by a predator, most likely a cat, that left a tear in it’s crop.

But because the crop was filled with seed, they couldn’t immediately administer medical care. They had to wait until the food was digested and the crop was empty to perform a procedure.

When an injured animal has a belly full of food it delays the medical care they can receive, and if they are dehydrated, eating food can actually kill them, SkyWatch says.

They say when you find an injured animal you should immediately place a focus on keeping them dark and covered up, with no visual or audible stress.