Cruelty to animals?

A waste of time and money?

A project to get rid of some pesky birds beneath bridges is being met with serious questions.

The motivating factor behind the project is avian excrement - otherwise known as poop.

Tucked beneath 14 North Texas tollway bridges, you'll find cages baited with corn, waiting for pigeons to step inside.

The tollway says trapping them is necessary to cut down on bird droppings hazardous to the highway and people's health.

But Teri Latsko and Nicole Matocha say the threat is to the birds.

And they have the pictures to prove it.

"We saw dead pigeons, we saw emaciated pigeons so thin they couldn't even fly," said Nicole Matocha.

"It was heart wrenching," Teri Latsko said.

WFAA-TV

Corn and water are left for the captured pigeons.

"These animals are suffering, from what we've found, multiple times," said Matocha.

What we found, prompted more questions about the tollway's so-called "pigeon project."

In February, the NTTA hired a professional company to get rid of the bridge-roosting pests.

They say bird droppings can carry diseases.

"There's wind [which] can spread those skin cells and make it harmful for those business and homes that border the tollway," said Sherita Coffelt, NTTA spokesperson.

Coffelt says there is another danger too - to the road itself.

Pigeon guano is acidic and can allegedly contribute to concrete erosion - so getting rid of the birds is key.

Once caught, Texas Bird Services say the pigeons are "transported at least 40 miles away" and that the vast majority of them don't return.

SPCA head James Bias calls this statement ridiculous.

"Pigeons are gifted at going back to the place they roost. I think the attempts to take these pigeons somewhere else to release them is just guaranteeing that they'll be able to capture those same pigeons down the road."

The NTTA is spending about $35,000 over the next three years on the project, a venture critics fear may also violate animal cruelty laws.

Once an animal is trapped, the law requires they be given adequate food, water and shelter.

Pictures show, there is often no food or water.

And our check of the cages shows inconsistent care.

One cage I found had food, but not really any water.

What's more, only 14 of the tollway's 260 bridges have traps, resulting in just 10 to 20 birds relocated every week.

The NTTA says the money well spent.

"You can't put a price tag on safety," said Coffelt.

Nicole Matocha and Teri Latsko have a cheaper solution.

They say the birds should be left alone.

E-mail jstjames@wfaa.com.