The Adventures of "Duckleberry Finn": Abandoned, injured duck on his way to clean bill of health thanks to East Sacramento neighbors
SACRAMENTO -- An injured duck is on his way to a clean bill of health thanks to the kindness and patience of East Sacramento neighbors.
His name is "Duckleberry Finn" and his adventures start with abandonment and injury, but the tale has a happy ending.
"It took me about a week to get him because he couldn't get out of the pond with his injury," said Judy McClaver.
McClaver lives near McKinley Park and found the duck on the pond there, clearly in trouble.
It's not her first rodeo when it comes to duck rescue. She rescues all kinds of animals on a regular basis and helps find them homes.
"He knows I'm not gonna hurt him," said McClaver, now that she's built trust with the bird.
When she found him he was trapped on the park's pond, unable to get out and barely able to eat thanks to his crushed leg.
"He would have starved and died," said McClaver.
Neighbors too stepped in once she captured him, wanting to help.
The community raised over $1100 online to get Duckleberry the surgery he needed this week.
"Now he's wearing what's called an external fixator, there's pin holding it in place and he'll wear this for two months," said McClaver of Duckleberry's now wrapped-up foot.
The surgery was to fix his broken femur; an injury that is not common for ducks.
"With femurs, usually it's somebody kicked him or hit him," said McClaver.
He was dumped on the pond. They know that because Duckleberry is a domestic breed; meaning he was bred and bought to be someone's pet, but found discarded.
"Like any domestic animal, they really don't know how to survive in the wild," said Michele Dodge.
Dodge does wildlife rescue all over the region. She says what happened to Duckleberry is all too common.
People get ducklings but give up when the bird is grown.
"People say, 'What am I going to do with them? I don't want them anymore.' They bring them to places like this and dump them," said Dodge at the Sailor Bar at the American River, a common dumping site for domestic ducks.
Thankfully for Duckleberry Finn, a happy ending is written into his story.
"He gets therapy three times a day by me," said McClaver, helping him rehab his foot so he can walk again.
Even though he can't fly, he's still spreading his wings. McClaver will work to find Duckleberry a forever home once he is fully healed; hopefully a family with a pond and even other ducks to play with.
And if you ask her -- why bother?
"It's a life. It needs to be looked after. If we don't look after lives, no matter whose they are, then what's happening in the world?" said McClaver.