In 2007, a beautiful, young barred owl was hit by a car in Kitsap County. She had recently left the nest, was trying desperately to make her own way in the world, and was probably hunting when the car struck her. Just like human children, young owls aren’t the smartest. Luckily, a caring human found her lying helpless on the side of the road. This person brought the owl to us and we immediately gave her the life-saving care she needed.

We were able to save her life, but she was damaged so badly that she’ll never be able to fly again and survive in the wild. By law, we either had to euthanize her or find her a home as an educational ambassador. Because she was and is such a special owl, we decided to keep her.

We invited the children and adults of Kitsap County to name this owl. Six people came up with the winning name: “Athena.” In Greek mythology, Athena is the goddess of wisdom. Athena made her first public appearance in October of 2008. With her calm presense and deep black eyes, she's already 'spoken to' dozens of children and adults.

How to Request a Presentation by Athena

Athena, working with Mike Pratt, the Shelter's Director of Wildlife Services, is ready to give an educational presentation to your classroom, civic group, library, or other forum. For these types of public programs, we charge a small fee of $100 - $400. For a larger fee, Athena and Mike will give a presentation to a private group, such as a children's birthday party. Generally, Mike and Athena are only able to give presentations from October - April. To inquire about a presentation, please call Mike Pratt at 206-855-9057 or email mike@westsoundwildlife.org.

How to Sponsor Athena

Please support our education program by sponsoring Athena. You can sponsor Athena by donating $50 to us. In return, we’ll send you a photo of Athena and a certificate of sponsorship and we’ll invite you and your family to a special presentation where you can meet Athena up close and personal.

To sponsor Athena, type in the amount of your sponsorship in the box below ($50 or more) then fill in the boxes below and hit the "Proceed to Secure Server" button.