The Owl Whisperer

Doug Pojeky, the president of the Wild at Heart animal-rescue center in Vancleave, Mississippi, has a way with animals. You might call it otherworldly. He’s not a veterinarian—he served 20 years as a Navy Seabee. But from the time he was a child, Doug had a profound connection with other living creatures. Gigi sensed it immediately.

- Jim Hinch

Gigi, a great horned owl, was in distress when she came to the shelter. Her pupils were dilated, a sign of concussion. Her blink reflex was slow. She was lethargic. There was blood around her beak. She was reluctant to let anyone near her, except for Doug. He gently reached into her cage and drew her out. Holding her talons in his right hand, he pressed her back against his chest. Talking all the time in a quiet, matter-of-fact voice, he gave her water and pieces of raw meat.

“I didn’t think she’d make it through the night,” Doug says. “Nocturnal birds get hit by cars. Blinded by headlights, they fly straight into a vehicle. This one was bad.”