On May 5, employees at the Quincy Animal Shelter in Eastern Washington discovered a box sitting on their doorstep. It was not surprising to find a box on the doorstep of the shelter as the appearance of the mystery box is a common occurrence in the animal sheltering world. But the box on the doorstep of the Quincy shelter did not contain the expected puppies or kittens. Instead, workers who opened the box came face to face with five downy Barn Owl chicks. There was no note or information of any kind left with the birds so reuniting them with their parents was not a possibility. The shelter contacted PAWS Wildlife Center (Lynwood, Washington 98087) for help, and PAWS dispatched a volunteer to retrieve the owls and transport them to Lynnwood for care.
All five Barn Owls thrived during their time at the center. A June 9 post on the PAWS Blog provided an update on their progress. By the end of June, all five owls had reached the point where they were ready and able to fend for themselves. On June 29, PAWS Wildlife Naturalist Kevin Mac transported them back over the Cascade Mountains to a 4,000-acre wildlife preserve called Swauk Creek Ranch. This would become their new home. Swauk Creek Ranch manager Eric Morris assisted with the release.
