Think Before You Buy Pets for Holiday

Westport News / Editorial

Elizabeth Gerteiny's letter regarding Animals Need Care is absolutely right.

I work in Westport and reside in Seymour. I live adjacent to a pond and for the past two years people have dropped off and abandoned their pet ducks on the pond.

People buy cute little ducklings not understanding that they are domestic animals and cannot fly. They cannot migrate away in the fall with the mallard ducks. Fall comes, food sources diminish and they begin to starve. Winter comes and the ice encroaches around them on the very ponds they sit on.

Domestic ducks are susceptible to frostbite, among other dangers. In the Spring of 2006, a Pekin duck (white with orange legs and bill) was dropped off at the pond. I was unable to find anyone to help this poor hen. The mallards all flew south and she was left all alone  on the pond.

I was unable to catch her. I continued to feed her through January until one Thursday night my husband discovered Majestic Waterfowl Sanctuary right here in Connecticut.

This is an organization that specializes in domestic duck and goose rescues. They were planning to come out Saturday morning to do the rescue, but Thursday evening the temperature dropped and the duck froze right into the ice and became trapped. Fortunately, I discovered her just at dawn before any predators did, and was able to chip her out of the ice and save her.

Majestic came out that morning to bring "Hildegarde" into their safe haven. Last year, two more pet ducks were dropped off on this very pond--the same fate in store for them. Again, Majestic came out to their rescue. Their shelter is brimming with abandoned pet ducks and geese--former pets who were thrown away on public ponds to fend for themselves, in an environment in which non-flying birds, without teeth or claws or the ability to run, cannot possibly defend themselves.

There are so many animals at Majestic in need of safe and loving homes, and so many more on their waiting list.

People stop adding to the problem and become part of the solution. Please resist the urge to purchase live pets at Easter time unless you fully plan to offer them a lifetime of care.

Rita Millak
Seymour

Article originally published March 14, 2008