Ashley Dietrich knows firsthand the beauty and devastation inherent in the animal rehabilitation and sanctuary world. After all, her organization is named for one of the first birds she tried to help—who sadly didn’t survive.

Around 2012, a woman who’d discovered a fallen dove nest brought it inside to keep it warm, having absolutely no idea what she’d do if the two eggs inside hatched. Of course, life always finds a way.

"Gold Raven" by Ashley Dietrich

“She brought me this nest on a heating pad with a baby dove and an egg,” Dietrich says.

She named the chick Olive. The next day, a boy whom she called Trevor hatched, and Dietrich found herself with the monumental task of raising a pair of incredibly tiny and delicate babies.

“These guys are so small they could rest on a nickel,” Dietrich says. “It was probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

"Mourning Dove Theotokos" by Ashley Dietrich

Olive developed some health issues, so Dietrich took her to an avian vet in Tulsa. Trevor continued to thrive, but his sister passed away shortly thereafter. Though the loss was heartbreaking, it didn’t stop Dietrich—a lifelong bird lover—from carrying on her mission. In 2014, she established Olive’s Place Dove & Pigeon Sanctuary. Today, approximately one hundred injured, abandoned, and misplaced birds live on Dietrich’s property outside of Tulsa.

Even when she’s not actively caring for her flock—a full-time job in and of itself—Dietrich spends hours in her home studio providing for them in a different way. Applying her talent and training as an artist, she paints stunning bird portraits that capture their charm, nobility, and complexity. And all of the proceeds from those sales go right back into the sanctuary to pay for necessities like food, medicine, heating pads, and costly emergency equipment.

“I started as a muralist,” she says. “I decided to take up wildlife rehab, and that’s when I realized pigeons and doves didn’t have anywhere to go. So at the same time, my artwork tends toward what I see every day, which were the birds in my care.”

Though Dietrich is more than adept at capturing the iridescence of a pigeon’s feathers or the graceful tilt of a mourning dove’s profile, she also depicts ravens, cardinals, even turkey vultures with gilded backgrounds and intricate frames that lend the subjects a dignified air worthy of any European salon. But it’s also hard not to fall in love with the playfulness and whimsy of an inquisitive blue-footed booby in acrylic. The artist paints custom pieces as well, some of which have shipped as far as Australia.

Ashley Dietrich funds Olive's Place by creating and selling paintings of birds.

“A lot of my paintings are inspired by the extra-memorable birds I’ve helped. You’re not supposed to have favorites in rescue, but of course I do,” Dietrich says. “But also, the imagery I draw from is largely from our history as well. For me, it’s about presenting these birds in a way that people don’t usually see them.”

Olive’s Place is first a sanctuary for birds in need, but Dietrich also works to educate people and change their perception about doves and pigeons.

“There’s a lot of bad press for many wildlife species,” she says. “Most of what people think they know is old wives’ tale stuff. For example, pigeons are actually very clean. I know this because I saw them taking a bath when it was thirty-four degrees this morning. They’re always relentlessly cleaning their feathers like they’re meeting the queen. Also, they mate for life. They’re fabulous parents, and in fact, I have a few pairs that have actually raised orphans that have been brought in. And they’re one of the most intelligent animals on the planet: They’re one of the few species that can pass the mirror test.”

"Sacred Heart Hummingbird" by Ashley Dietrich

She doesn’t receive a salary from her sanctuary, but showing the beauty of these creatures gets her up early each morning and keeps her working late into the night.

“What I really want is for people to see these birds in a positive light,” Dietrich says.

Visit Olive's Place Dove & Pigeon Sanctuary online to learn more.

Written By

Karlie Ybarra

Managing editor Karlie Ybarra loves to explore her home state—and meet many of its animal citizens—any chance she gets.