Just Ducky

Well, for the second time in our marriage C has rescued a lame duck. The timing couldn't be better, right? Well, the last time was, I believe, in 2003 when C came across a duck with a crippled foot in a bad snow storm. The duck was a wild female Mallard that was limping in the middle of the street. It appeared as though her foot had broken, and then healed incorrectly, rendering her unable to run and take off to migrate with her fellow Mallards. She took up residence in our home while we decided what to do with her. She spent the day in the bathtub, and nights in a large box, occasionally wandering in to watch TV with us. She found a good home on a farm in St. George.

This round was not such a cozy story. C saw a hit-and-run incident and at first thought the bird was dead. When he passed by, the lump of feathers was still moving in the middle of the road, and he pulled over to determine how bad off the little critter was. As he petted it, he noticed the blood on its mouth and thought it must be injured internally pretty bad. He considered for a moment "putting it out of its misery," the only kind thing you can do when an animal is injured beyond repair, but the large corporate building looming before him was cause for consideration. He could see the headlines read, "Therapist and state employee murders duck in public."

Watching him pet the injured little bird, a passer-by commented, "You are such a GOOD man!" Definitely, he is. He decided he would try to get some help if it could be had.

"The eyes are red. I don't know if that means there is hemorrhaging or if its eyes are just red," Chris commented when he called. I asked if it was a white duck, thinking it was albino. It was black, so I thought the injury must be pretty bad. I located a vet that offered to put the duck down if it was bad enough, but mentioned that he would not care for it. Of course, vets must like animals, otherwise they wouldn't be vets. On the trip to the vet the duck's situation improved, and after inspection, the vet told C that he would keep the duck and pass it on to the appropriate Wildlife group, but that it seemed well enough and he could see no reason to put it down. Oh, and yes, the eyes were naturally red.

Once again the hero, C rescued a little life from being further crushed in the street by responding to care for a ducky. Way to go, C! As usual, I am proud of you and all you do.