On a very hot day over the weekend in Turkey, Recep Serçe figured he’d do some outdoor chores, as they had been piling on. One item on his list was to wash his car, and he plugged in the hose and turned it on. What this man didn’t know that soon enough, he would be called on for a more noble purpose.

As the man was washing and rinsing his vehicle, out of nowhere, a random pigeon flew down and landed on the hood of his car. As it was an extremely hot day, the poor bird seemed to be really struggling under the harsh weather, and Serçe sensed and understood that the bird was asking for help.

In an interview, Recep says: “It was like a miracle. I was very happy [to receive her],” and oh how it shows. Serçe, being the good samaritan that he is, puts his task on hold, and helps the little pigeon quench his thirst and gives him a bath to cool her feathers. A few moments after quenching her thirst and getting a cool bath, the weary pigeon soon got her strength back.

After a few minutes under the cool water, the refreshed pigeon flew away. Although in this moment, it was a brief encounter between human and bird, it made a world of difference in the life of the pigeon. Whatever said and done, Serçe was extremely happy that he could be of help to the bird, saying: “It’s our duty to be humane.”