Amaro brings in a pigeon that always comes back

—The pigeon came in through the attic window again at seven.

—Again?

—Fifth time.

—Ledesma, Amaro, electrician. I've got you here, with the other four.

—And you again, Iribarne. The vet from the other four.

—Chelo. That makes five. Is she in a proper carrier?

—The carrier is proper. The occupant disagrees.

—Leave her up there. Is she ringed?

—She's got a ring, a temper and very firm views about my house.

—She's a homing pigeon. They're trained to come back to the loft, not to the person.

—Perfect. Tell me where her owner lives and I'll end my tour.

—One moment. Let me look up the ring number.

—Look up a phone number too. I want to hand her over today.

—I want the file closed today. At last we agree on something.

—My goal includes leaving here without a pigeon.

—Mine includes placing her with someone responsible.

—With the previous owner, for example.

—Here it is. He handed her in himself two months ago.

—Handed in what?

—The pigeon.

—Then give her back to him again.

—He no longer lives at that address.

—I do. I bought the house from him.

—Did you buy the attic as well?

—It came attached to the rest.

—That explains the returns.

—Explain it more slowly. I'd like to keep some hope, if possible.

—The loft was in your attic. That's where she learned the way back.

—There's no loft now. I took out some boards, cleared away feathers and put my tools in.

—To you it's a workshop. To her it's a full refurbishment of her home.

—Doesn't she go back to whoever fed her?

—She goes back to the place where she learned to return.

—Even if the owner changes?

—Nobody showed her the deed of sale.

—The old owner left, dropped her off here and she went back to the house.

—Exactly.

—Then I brought her, you took her in and she flew back to my house.

—Exactly.

—Last week I took her to another shelter.

—And she came back?

—They rang me at lunchtime. They'd let her out into the yard and she was gone.

—So she didn't escape: they let her out.

—She got home before I did. She was on the roof watching me park.

—Right. That's what homing pigeons do.

—She keeps better hours than my assistant.

—We can find her a keeper with experience.

—How many kilometres away?

—There's no distance that would convince her. If she flies loose, she'll try.

—Then let the keeper come and live in the attic.

—That would be adopting you.

—I accept if he can fix roofs.

—We can also adapt the space and keep her there with proper care.

—I came to hand in an animal, not to open a branch of the shelter.

—Her view is that you bought the whole branch.

—So what do I put on the form?

—Animal's address: your attic.

—And owner?

—The pigeon already has a house, an electrician and a driver. Under owner, write "the pigeon".