Sharon Ní Bhaoill

🐋🚨 The Senate votes MONDAY on a bill that would weaken the Endangered Species Act! For more than 50 years, the Endangered Species Act has protected dozens of species from going extinct. But S.5653, the Senate’s permitting reform bill, would rush the scientific reviews that protect endangered animals so development projects can move faster. It would also weaken the Clean Water Act, cutting oversight of the rivers, streams, and wetlands that wildlife depend on. We can’t let Congress gut two of the most successful environmental laws in history! ⚠️ Here’s how to take action TODAY 👇 1️⃣ EMAIL your senators at vfar.org/oppose5653 📧 2️⃣ CALL them next 📞 Dial (202) 224-3121, ask for your senator’s office, and say: “Hello, my name is [NAME], and I’m a voter from [CITY/TOWN]. I’m calling to urge Senator [NAME] to vote NO on S.5653, the permitting reform bill. It would gut protections under the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act and put species on the brink of extinction at even greater risk. Please vote NO. Thank you!” ☎️ Then call back for your second senator! Your senators need to hear from voters before Monday. Leave a voicemail if you don't get through, and share this with everyone who cares about wildlife 🔁💜

🦉 84% of dead birds of prey found in NYC tested positive for anticoagulant rat poison, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Wildlife Unit. Most bait boxes in NYC use poison that stops blood from clotting, so a poisoned rat bleeds internally over several days before dying. That means the rat stays alive long enough to be caught and eaten by a predator, and the poison moves straight up the chain. Flaco, the beloved eagle-owl who escaped the Central Park Zoo, had four different rodenticides in his system when he died. Meanwhile, NYC still has an estimated 3 million rats — this approach isn't even solving the problem it's meant to solve. The good news: there are ways to reduce rat populations that don't rely on poison. Rodent-proof trash containers, sealed composting, and blocking off burrows and food sources all reduce rat numbers by cutting off what rats need to survive — without harming the hawks, owls, and other wildlife that share our city. Sign the petition and tell NYC lawmakers to invest in solutions that work for people and wildlife alike: 🔗 buff.ly/85TK4Pw

Thank you, John. @NYCMayor @ZohranKMamdani, 30+ trapped pigeons including chicks trapped under George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal. Please intervene.

We urge every New Yorker to contact their City Council Member and POLITELY urge them to co-sponsor Ryder's Law (Intro 943). You can send them an email here: vfar.org/ryderslaw/

Tonight, a carriage horse collapsed and died in Central Park. We do not yet know this horse’s name, age, history, or what caused their death — but we do know this: no horse should spend their life pulling a carriage through the streets of Manhattan. We have seen this before. Ryder. Lady. Aisha. Charlie. Smoothie. And now another horse whose life ended on the pavement. This moment demands more than outrage. It demands action. On Thursday, the City Council will reintroduce Ryder’s Law — legislation to finally transition New York City away from horse carriages and retire the horses to sanctuaries. That future will include the workers, too. Carriage drivers deserve a real transition plan with stable jobs, protections, and benefits — and we are ready to work with TWU and all stakeholders to make that happen. But doing nothing is not an option. Another horse is dead on the streets of New York City. For the horses. For the workers. For New York City. Pass Ryder’s Law.