How does Officer Delinko change in Chapter 18?

In Chapter 18, while Curly and Officer Delinko were keeping an eye on the construction site overnight, Officer Delinko tripped over an owl burrow with tiny babies inside. As he backed away, he bumped into the bulldozer and suddenly that if he continued to do his job, the owls home would be lost, and they would likely die. This realization upset him greatly.