Thursday, June 19, 2008
Pigeon King International bankrupt
by Andrea Zippay
SALEM, Ohio — What once looked like a high-flying and profitable opportunity — and sold under the promise to save family farms –seems to be crashing to the ground.
At least one Ohio breeder has confirmed rumors Arlan Galbraith has filed bankruptcy on his Ontario-based Pigeon King International pigeon breeding business.
Lucy Burkholder, whose husband Tim owns 1,000 pigeons as part of a contract with Galbraith, said by phone June 19 that the couple confirmed the rumors were true.
The Burkholders raise pigeons in Shiloh, Ohio, in northern Richland County. Lucy Burkholder said the family had been raising pigeons nearly three years and are “not quite sure” what will happen now.
“Tim always wondered how long it would last. Of course it was a shock to hear, but we didn’t think it couldn’t happen,” she said.
The voicemail box at Pigeon King headquarters in Waterloo, Ontario, was full Thursday morning and not accepting messages. Communications manager Shelley Mason was not immediately available for comment via her cell phone.
Check back for further developments in this story.
