Owl Heads Back Home Just in Time for Christmas

Dan Chauvin, animal control officer for Millbury, Sutton and Northbridge, thought he was going to have to deal with an animal case with a sad ending. Instead, it turned out to be his favorite Christmas story.

Early in the morning on Nov. 5, he got a call to Church Street in Whitinsville to assist an injured screech owl. Chauvin found that the little owl was unable to stand or open its eyes, and was bleeding slightly from an impact wound that appeared to be caused from a collision with a car.

He gingerly placed the owl in a crate to transport it to Tufts University Wildlife Clinic, where they quickly took the bird in.

"They took the owl, and I did not check back with clinic, as I didn't want to hear the bad news that it had died," said Chauvin. "You could've knocked me over with a feather when I received a call Friday afternoon that the screech owl was ready for release and would I come by, pick him up and release him in the area near where he was found."

Chauvin did just that, and on the morning of Dec. 22 the screech owl was released where he was found.

"He was absolutely fine and flew away with no difficulty," said Chauvin. "To an ACO. This is about the best Christmas Present I could receive."