Injured owl saved by ‘Good Samaritan’ and local vet

Several people gathered around Walker’s Pond on Thursday afternoon to celebrate and witness the first flight of an owl that had been rescued on Sunday evening.

While Teresa Taylor and her family were on their way to meet a few friends for dinner, they happened to pass by something unusual in the road. Intrigued and worried, they turned around to investigate further.

To their surprise, an owl was sitting in the road, injured and unresponsive. Knowing they had very little time, they took every action they could to save its life. It didn’t put up a fight or become frightened as they approached. Taylor saw another man nearby and confirmed that he had already called 911.

When the police officer got to the scene, she attempted to move the owl to no avail. The police officer then had to respond to another call, and the Taylor family was left to do what they could. Before leaving, the officer had pointed out that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) needed to be the ones to transport the owl. However, Taylor could not resist her nature to help the poor animal.

“She must have gotten hit by a car… I couldn’t just leave her there to die. She couldn’t move,” reasoned Taylor. “She was the calmest thing. I’ve never seen one that close. She didn’t try to fight, bite; nothing. It was almost as if she knew we were trying to help her.”

They moved the owl to the side of the road and met with their friends at dinner. Throughout the meal, Taylor, her family and friends attempted to reach out to everyone they could think of to help. To their dismay, no one was available to lend a helping hand.

“Animals don’t know it’s the weekend. No one would help us,” Taylor said in frustration. As a last ditch effort, Taylor called her friend and former Mayor of Warner Robins, Chuck Shaheen. She knew that Shaheen knew many people, so she was hoping that he’d be able to think of someone to help. Shaheen knew the man for the job was Dr. Vernard Hodges.

Hodges is one of the veterinarians at Critter Fixer Veterinary Hospital. The animal hospital is featured in a show on Nat Geo Wild and Disney+ called, “Critter Fixers: Country Vets.” The hospital is known for treating many kinds of animals from all shapes and sizes, but taking care of an owl would be a first for Hodges and his team.

“Dr. Hodges had never taken care of an owl,” said Taylor. “He had done hawks and all before, but no owls. He was excited.”

Taylor and her family gently placed the owl in a box and kept her overnight, following instructions from Hodges. They brought her to the animal hospital early the next morning for Hodges to evaluate the problems.

After a few x-rays and studying her eyes, Hodges concluded that the owl had a concussion and a broken pelvis. “His biggest worry was her concussion,” admitted Taylor. Hodges told her that the broken pelvis should heal on it own, but she needed time and treatment to get the fluid to go down for her concussion.

“On my exams,” began Dr. Hodges, “she was just starry eyed. No pupillary response.” He administered treatment for her concussion and the swelling subsided. After keeping her stable for a few days, the owl was ready to be sent to the rehab facility.

The wildlife rehab facility claimed that she starting doing well from the get-go. Soon after, she was eating all of her dinner, jumping up and down and ready to go. She recovered quickly and excitement began to buzz about the big moment to release her back into the wild.

It was very important for the clinic to let her go around the same area where she was found. Taylor had found her on Bernard Drive, so they all agreed that they should release her at Walker’s Pond. Hodges, Taylor, Shaheen, and several guests gathered at Walker’s Pond on Thursday afternoon to celebrate the momentous moment.

“In the hospital, I named this bird Hootie-Hoo,” recalled Dr. Hodges fondly. “But, Chuck came up with a great [female] name. We’re in Warner Robins. So we got Robin. Welcome back to your area!” With that, Dr. Hodges and the group opened the carrier that held the owl, and she took off.

Everyone watched the owl take flight in awe and amazement. Hodges went on to commend Taylor for her quick action. “She wouldn’t have moved for another 24-48 hours. Who knows what would have picked her up if Teresa hadn’t saved her?”

“What an experience!” exclaimed Taylor. “I wouldn’t change anything for the world. It was the most amazing thing to witness.” She went on to praise the heart of Dr. Hodges and his team. “He is such a nice guy. I’ve heard a lot about him. I’ve never used him for my animals, but I am now. He was the only one that stepped up to the plate and would help us. If you have animals, use him.”

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