I met Al Cilley in the spring of 2017. He told me he’s out the door by 4:30 a.m. most weekdays.
His routine goes something like this:
Driving a white van with “Al” printed on the side, Cilley hops from parking lot to parking lot in downtown Concord, New Hampshire. He first visits a flock of 150 pigeons. As his van pulls in, the birds flutter down, recognizing their caretaker. Some land on Cilley’s outstretched hands, where he coos and even kisses the birds’ feathery heads. The rest of the pigeons crowd around Cilley’s feet, gobbling up the cat kibble he tosses to the ground.
After visiting with the birds, Cilley sets to work feeding his feral cats. They have names like No-Tail and Spirit and Checkers, and thanks to Cilley, they also have insulated, straw-padded shelters lining the brush along the city’s railroad tracks. Twice a day, every day, for more than 30 years, Cilley has put out fresh food and water. In the winter – when he isn’t working his paving job to buy that food – the 69-year-old makes sure the cats can get to where they need to. He shovels paths through the snow, tosses out frozen water, and repairs broken cat houses.
When Cilley finds freezing, injured or starving pigeons, cats or dogs, he brings them to the veterinarian or to a wildlife rehabilitator. For those he finds dead, he buries them with dignity. The rest of the time, Cilley enjoys these animals’ company: he plays with the birds and cats, makes home videos of them, and undergoes empty nest syndrome when cats become adopted.
Cilley also worries about these animals’ future. Both the pigeons and cats are losing territory as the city of Concord considers developing the stretch of grass and brush along the railroad. For now, he is doing everything he can to provide for them.
“I keep them alive and give them hope,” he said.
