Volunteer Services for Animals

07/25/2025

https://abcbirds.org/bird/spotted-sandpiper/?utm_campaign=botw&utm_medium=email&utm_source=botw&contactdata=ayB2EDUvr5Wv2HywBQUG6svgYCgSRMiLHPF3t2+DMWxRqJOgDAmdYdhcCAZ062EdOzUUC%2fogIS2p7pmXBdjajjJ0XcAmDhCafJKaFoiCeSj2%2fq1eUQTEc%2f%2fjwTJY1J2V4xncPMRhpUc0qiLZIGWLW4zZgi76PqYAls79vjPEag8BwZkYPKZRWXMNDbfv8A+BAcG9FE7qQ%2f7jt2enMVEPdxVfcoojtDBCLGSeZoNUajqpaHk40gTC7HdRd2VIcuwiSAI6oDZTzGf%2fah28IEn9ug%3d%3d&ms=em_nl_botw_072525&omcampaign=em_nl_botw_072525&omhide=true&emci=98f9975a-d467-f011-8dc9-6045bda9d96b&emdi=3209448d-6469-f011-8dc9-6045bda9d96b&ceid=286090

Teetering, bobbing, and darting along the water’s edge or springing into shallow, stiff-winged flight with a soft weet-weet-weet call, the Spotted Sandpiper is a distinctive and delightful sight.

07/18/2025

https://abcbirds.org/bird/cochabamba-mountain-finch/?utm_campaign=botw&utm_medium=email&utm_source=botw&contactdata=I3AsMEsyrq+dVsA%2fkioU+tacMHNUlZzDYI3XmMwkcApY4Z+oWpf+TI7qQsN8mhK3J3tIl80CyTvgmu%2fsqAgr%2fJKgXXprfOrt%2fM8BMM2e87M7xG79acgcZGKAVhDwojT0+CXj+cnh2KoNw4p1NnaITiLgZ9hl7tMXcvWG5gI8FL5+Kdx2rXLpHM5jmfL+DFMlVoMzrVq46LPnvl6Wduq11avScNHnWPBN3ayqleT56HUGM+XFyqVaokwp0cTV403rQZgO+W4rvpAzQGz59olyrg%3d%3d&ms=em_nl_botw_071825&omcampaign=em_nl_botw_071825&omhide=true&emci=73b1d3a4-9161-f011-8dc9-6045bdfe8e9c&emdi=1f4f8673-e463-f011-8dc9-6045bdfe8e9c&ceid=286090

Named for the Bolivian city adjacent to the mountain slopes that comprise its stronghold, the rare and beautiful Cochabamba Mountain Finch is actually more closely related to a tanager than to a finch.

07/11/2025

https://abcbirds.org/bird/masked-flowerpiercer/?utm_campaign=botw&utm_medium=email&utm_source=botw&contactdata=RpM6mZ6l05Yxphqo46T0QEK7Z0jaj6uXe7mRpoINAQJRhVBDfr+n+Z4lj3DvjoblzY5PXOXx8G0wShD64taZ0wiJCNVKi%2fILx4oScXSLOLqpib%2fyyC1BpnwYIqz0KeChqiGHn3pZADcoZrVnXeKvVjhrU8dwe+hJdODzcn3HiygRRMqIsL46HGj1dalWL048I+enmrDXB8+wDkcLqyY%2fhBfJZdFG7vqYtJgr9bg6rm1dL+4+QHP74jWlTCjMSIJE5rADyXcpXYw4GbOaHyPkcQ%3d%3d&ms=em_nl_botw_071125&omcampaign=em_nl_botw_071125&omhide=true&emci=3fe6031b-175c-f011-8f7c-6045bdfe8e9c&emdi=d00e8043-645e-f011-8dc9-6045bdfe8e9c&ceid=286090

07/05/2025

Happy Birthday America.
Our democracy was 249 years old yesterday.

07/04/2025

https://abcbirds.org/bird/jamess-flamingo/?utm_campaign=botw&utm_medium=email&utm_source=botw&contactdata=B%2fEpdTdjYCPTC7p7WtSfttFrsy775qMXKs3QEII6iR12VYYHZFHMQu6qFU4M%2fp8LNvlfEMwTgrfTX9PEdB+oRUpj%2fFLQldODartPYuGz43kfBMHAASRWdL9n8q9fbFTLPXwzxA2xohhpSbILMhFLpc6kil8xI6BVpcHtyJVL+LOMLVWFRfKcvG6gTUo9u2J5c7D05G7tQEFZG93+wxP8ulMeFx65xcejJIK9IgMb6gv9l2v6GGwH4L36Jgu2TLWWE1N9UCcTsVGhdi0IOYtzmg%3d%3d&ms=em_nl_botw_070425&omcampaign=em_nl_botw_070425&omhide=true&emci=3951f0a6-7f56-f011-8f7c-6045bdfe8e9c&emdi=c2c1990f-e458-f011-8f7c-6045bdfe8e9c&ceid=286090

As well as being the smallest and rarest of the three Andean flamingo species, the James’s Flamingo has other features that set it apart.

06/27/2025

https://abcbirds.org/bird/white-browed-tit-spinetail/?utm_campaign=botw&utm_medium=email&utm_source=botw&contactdata=N4uw%2fnGIxGVYQ%2fONRgn%2f7gVt0gjgl8ES4jcdd9tfgOQV5gAgfv8AvgmqSqTeBDSp2pJBvp+nuRfC9B798RUoc3fnqZEJjI7%2fXE6hLZtoMuwhzzxSNK2HAKVMKrbaLmf6eV8+P5nM5Aq87puHYF5kDXxARMb2GJr03SiLaJW%2fPfGqzYlMTDKzQgeUb9986iry3Opqvb68Zo3gSJ3zPaqy5NOIElUbYzlH8X+FQwQsGKMYMNkxtscLLAPoLCyCvnS2wsMTrUQHPin%2f2mFtXyyU3Q%3d%3d&ms=em_nl_botw_062725&omcampaign=em_nl_botw_062725&omhide=true&emci=d37aaf8c-dd51-f011-8f7c-6045bdfe8e9c&emdi=4bb66fe5-6353-f011-8f7c-6045bdfe8e9c&ceid=328648

The lively little White-browed Tit-Spinetail is an extreme habitat specialist, found only in threatened Polylepis forests in the Andes of southern Peru.

06/25/2025

GOOD NEWS -- The Rhode Island General Assembly has passed the following humane legislation which now is with Governor McKee to approve:
S0180 / H5568 Prohibits declawing cats
S1145 / H5025 Gives civil protection to feral cat rescuers
S0649 / H5569 The Pet Insurance Act
S0559 / H6089 Increases the imprisonment penalty for animal fighting

google legiscan.com/RI/legislation2025 to view the bills in their entirety.

VSA gives thanks to the Rhode Island General Assembly for passing this legislation and to the State Representatives and Senators who sponsored this legislation.

LegiScan legislative dashboard for Rhode Island, details on the most recent legislation, popular bills, sponsors and committees. With weekly downloadable snapshots of session data.

06/24/2025

https://www.audubon.org/magazine/10-fun-facts-about-pileated-woodpecker

From their flaming red crest to their maniacal laughing calls, this is one bird you don’t want to miss.

06/20/2025

https://abcbirds.org/bird/purple-quail-dove/?utm_campaign=botw&utm_medium=email&utm_source=botw&contactdata=HkOcA8PQ1gCVKUTBT2SgZxLwwe3GGwTkykTMZkFW0yOmWyBNahB7qyTWKBETRYd5q2GQpnhw6u5spYaBcYe%2fzZuIVleQd3MNiNUMI0BARTO5s0LSxhsCzweZnPJFU+sBIo5f56h6dAN+%2fw0YAmjlDVF7IHKP92yJp6Xao0qiKebEp8MH08Eo8RkdEUOlqu12EdgkpqLBIm%2fbyqHm+cV%2f+Ei8iqSciKv8QhB+V1qzTcM6xmBnkupHvAXPxQywosXx+jzb38NtgyDux%2fgSNDx++Q%3d%3d&ms=em_nl_botw_062025&omcampaign=em_nl_botw_062025&omhide=true&emci=cd59dc1e-c54a-f011-8f7c-6045bdfe8e9c&emdi=0bddf5c2-e34d-f011-8f7c-6045bdfe8e9c&ceid=286090

The shy, stunning Purple Quail-Dove belongs to a larger family that includes familiar species such as the widespread Mourning Dove and Rock Pigeon.

06/19/2025

The Rhode Island General Assembly has passed the legislation that prohibits the declawing of cats. Thank you to Senator Melissa Murray and Representative John O'Brien and the General Assembly for making this happen.