THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 25, 1995 TAG: 9501240066
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 02 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Linda McNatt
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
Think there's no emergency trauma center in Isle of Wight County?
Guess again.
When Dillard de Hawk was a hit-and-run victim on U.S. 58 near Franklin last week, he was whisked into Isle of Wight Hope, suffering from shock, dehydration and heaven only knows what else.
By the time I called to check on his condition, intravenous fluids had been started, and his vital signs stabilized.
``We've got to look him over and decide what's wrong,'' said the good doctor, Lynn O'Berry, the county's chief animal control officer.
O'Berry said Dillard, a redtail hawk, looked to be otherwise healthy. But at that point, she wasn't ruling out internal injuries.
Most county employees know that O'Berry is a state and federally licensed rehabilitator of wild creatures. When Dillard showed up on a delivery truck at the School Board annex offices, the school employees knew she would know what to do with the injured hawk.
The redtail hawk gets its name from its crop of rusty-red tail feathers. The name Dillard comes from the truck he came in on: A Dillard Paper Company driver who was delivering supplies to the School Board offices rescued the bird.
Lucky for Dillard - the hawk - O'Berry is not a novice at helping animals. About four years ago, she applied for a state license for rehabilitating wild animals, including such creatures as deer, opossum, squirrels and rabbits. Two years ago, she went for the federal license applying to migratory birds.
O'Berry was ready for Dillard. She had recently released a crow she'd come across with a broken wing. A couple of months before that, she treated and set free an owl.
The day Dillard arrived at the shelter, O'Berry said, he was lying on his side with his talons clenched into - well, can you call them fists? O'Berry said she thought clinching his most important tool for eating and defending himself may have been caused by shock and trauma, or by nerve damage.
Either way, she felt the bird appeared healthy enough to begin recovery with proper treatment.
Two days later, when I arrived during visiting hours, Dillard was sitting up on his haunches gulping down fair-sized chunks of raw venison and guzzling water from a syringe.
But he was still clenching his talons, refusing to perch or stand.
``It's probably nerve damage,'' O'Berry said. ``It may work its way out, or it may not. I'm going to give him a week. I'm going to take him home and get him in a cage where he'll have perches.''
If Dillard hasn't shown signs of a full recovery after a week, O'Berry said, she'll consult with the expert she uses for a second opinion at the state wildlife center in Blacksburg. The hawk may end up there.
Meanwhile, Dillard seemed perfectly content to be wined and dined. The only thing missing was candlelight and music.
And as soon as he was satisfied, O'Berry turned her attention to another patient, a dog she's been working with since she picked it up in late November.
Shelly is a mixed-breed rotweiler and retriever. When O'Berry found her, her previous owners had her tied with a rope that had become imbedded in her neck so badly that it had to be surgically removed. At 6 months old, she weighed only 17 pounds.
The dog has recovered nicely and today weighs close to 30 pounds. O'Berry said she doesn't believe she will get much larger because she was so malnourished as a puppy.
``She's a really sweet dog. I will find her a home,'' O'Berry said.
If you're interested, you can reach O'Berry at 357-3191. Ask for animal control.
And remember what you've learned here. There is an emergency medical trauma center in Isle of Wight County. You just have to have feathers or fur to qualify for admission. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by LINDA McNATT
Dillard de Hawk gets expert attention from Lynn O'Berry, a licensed
rehabilitator of wild creatures.
by CNB