Animal Shelter Staff Rescue 11 Ducks In Branford

Shared and written by the Dan Cosgrove Animal Shelter

This a public service announcement we would like to have shared far and wide! Ducks, Chickens and bunnies are not Easter Gifts or any other type gifts. If you decide to get them as pets - they are your responsibility for life!

Pekin ducks are not wild ducks. They are domestic ducks - Domestication (from the Latin domesticus) means 'belonging to the house'. You cannot purchase them at a store and release them into a pond and think they will survive. This means they depend on you for food, shelter and care. If you release them into the wild, they may survive for a short period of time but they have no one feeding them, no shelter and no care if they are hurt.

Mallards are typically wild ducks. Unfortunately if you make the decision and take on the RESPONSIBILITY of hatching these ducks and allowing them to imprint on your Pekin ducks, they will be bonded with them and no longer fly away or fear humans. Therefore they cannot live in the wild.

The animal control department was notified of approximately 15 ducks near Youngs Pond that were sleeping in the road which consisted of both Pekin and Mallard Ducks.

We were able to catch 11 of them. There are more in the pond. They are now safe and being cared for. Thank you to ACO's Joyce, Burban and Chris Barbaro for taking all the necessary time to capture them ( It was no easy task)!