Animal Control Report: Children Save Young Sparrow

Animal Control officers in Alexandria deal with a variety of calls every week. Here's a glance at some recent incidents in the city courtesy of Patrick Cole, the director of communications and outreach at the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria.

Children to the rescue — A group of children helped save a baby sparrow thanks to lessons learned during a class trip to the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter.

On May 5, an Animal Control officer was dispatched to the 900 block of Wolfe Street to assist a bird that had fallen out of a nest. Upon arrival, the officer was flagged by a group of children who had placed the nestling in a plastic ice cream container filled with dry grass clippings.

The young bird was chirping away.

The children had punctured holes in the top of the container so the bird could breathe. They had also left the container in a warm, sunny location.

The Animal Control officer commended the children for their quick thinking and compassion. One child mentioned he employed lessons he learned during a class trip to the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria shelter.

While the children were able to save the chick, they were not able to agree on a name. Some suggested Charles, while others desired the name Tweet. A compromise was eventually struck and Charles Tweet was taken to the animal shelter to await a wildlife rehabilitator.

Adoption promotion — The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria is holding an adoption event between May 16 and May 21 at the Vola Lawson Animal Shelter. Adoption fees are half off for “staff picks.”

See if one of our favorites could be your new family member by visiting the AWLA website.