Hit by car in Tennessee, juvenile barred owl gets help after deputy says, 'I relate to you, friend'

In the early hours of last Sunday, Knox County deputies found themselves handling an unusual emergency. 

After a juvenile barred owl was hit by a car in Knoxville, officers responded to the scene, and body camera footage showed the rescue. 

What happened?

Around 2 a.m., the Knox County Sheriff's Office was sent to a 911 call about a young barred owl that had been struck by a car in Knoxville, according to WBIR. 

Because the bird was still alive, deputies remained at the scene while they worked out the safest way to get it the medical care it desperately needed.

The outlet later shared the officers' body camera footage of the wildlife rescue.

Among the responders was Deputy Dalton Swanger, as WBIR reported. Swanger, who was seriously injured on duty in June 2025 while filming an episode of "On Patrol: Live," can be heard in the footage examining the owl and saying, "The bird looks pretty intact. I don't know how to explain it."

"Yeah, he's got head trauma. I relate to you, friend," Swanger added.

The deputies checked with dispatch and contacted the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Center. Because they feared that moving the owl could further injure it, officers spent several minutes talking through whether the equipment they had on hand could be used to move the owl safely.

After multiple calls, Swanger reached the Knoxville Pet Emergency Clinic, which agreed to keep the owl until morning. Owl Ridge Raptor Center later said it had received the bird that same morning and was treating it for both uveitis and head trauma.

The ORRC added in an update on Facebook that the owl has "been hydrated, fed, and medicated. Fingers crossed for full recovery. We will get him there. It takes a village!"

Why does it matter?

Head trauma can affect an owl's ability to fly, hunt, and survive in the wild, while uveitis can threaten its vision.

Wildlife emergencies often fall to whoever is nearby first, in this case, local law enforcement officers working in the middle of the night. Thankfully, they kept making calls until they found help for the bird.

If you want to support similar work in your own community, it can help to keep the contact information for local animal control, wildlife rehabilitation centers, and emergency veterinary clinics handy.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.