SHREWSBURY — Jessica Zorge lives her life willing to lend a hand. “Day and night, holidays, weekends, whenever we get a phone call, we do our best to help,” she said.
Her mission is to take birds of prey under her wing. Her Shrewsbury-based nonprofit, Raptor Tales Rescue, rehabilitates and restores hawks, owls, eagles and falcons—all thanks to grants and donations.
More than 420 birds of prey rescued
“Since our founding in 2020, we have already taken in over 420 birds of prey,” said the wildlife rehabilitator and educator.
How long the birds stay — months or up to a year — varies, depending on the injury. That means lots of medical care and lots of food. Hundreds of dollars worth of rodents every few weeks.
But now… her wings are clipped by a large, unexpected expense.
“It breaks our hearts when we get calls like this and know there’s something on the road, in a field or in someone’s backyard that we can’t get to,” she said.
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Jessica’s 2013 SUV with 170,000 miles on it eventually broke down. She and her volunteer partners started an online fundraiser and humbly asked for help.
“We’re not picky at all. Newer, maybe low mileage. This one is fantastic. We’ve had turtles, turkeys, foxes, so many birds of prey in it. Just something that can hold a couple crates and our gear,” Jessica said.
Keys to get back on the road – and to the animals that need her care.
“They have a very special place in my heart. They are fierce, amazing creatures. I just think that every opportunity should be given to give them a second chance to send them back to freedom,” Jessica added.
July McDonald
