Trust Fund for the Sugarhouse Ducks

ducks
If you remember back a few weeks, we’ve been watching the dumped domestic ducks at Sugarhouse Park to make sure they’re doing okay.

sunday
Last weekend, the pond froze over and the park drained the pond so kids wouldn’t play on it and fall through the ice. That left the domestic ducks completely unsafe. With no water to retreat to, they couldn’t avoid off-leash dogs or other predators at the pond. A sure sign they were in danger was that they were the only birds left in the park. All the Canada geese, mallard ducks, gulls and pigeons left when the pond became unsafe. But since domestic dumped ducks can’t fly, they couldn’t move on to a safer spot.

rescue
So we organized a duck rescue. We put the word out on Facebook, Twitter and Instragram, and 5-6 ladies showed up to help corral the ducks off the pond. Later, a high-school friend and her kids showed up to help too.

retreat
The dumped domestic ducks were scared though, so they retreated to the middle of the ice-covered pond. After a long, cold slog across the pond in 18″ deep grassy, icy sewage, I was able to move them onto land on the far side.

there
There, the other volunteers used the fencing to create barriers so the domestic ducks could finally be caught. It was quite a team effort and we’re thankful for all the last-minute, early-morning help that arrived to save these ducks.

foster
The foster ducks are here with us for a little bit while we ensure they’re in good health. Thankfully they’re all doing great. So this coming weekend, they will head to their new forever sanctuary.

sanctuary
The rescued Sugarhouse Park ducks will join an established rescued domestic flock at a private pond in Orem, UT. Thanks to the generous offer by Ching Sanctuary, these ducks will get to stay together and live with a rescued flock of 18 domestic rescued geese (from Wheeler Farm) and 6 other domestic rescued ducks.

goositude
We’re told the domestic geese are very protective and help the visiting wild mallards raise their babies in the spring. The pond has had rescued domestic ducks and geese since 2005. And since it’s on a natural spring, it never freezes over.

geese
The family pond has a 24/7 owner/caretaker who feeds the geese and ducks twice a day. It’s a beautiful place.

That’s where you come in.

sweet
We’d like to send these sweet kids off to their forever sanctuary with a trust fund. It’s not cheap to feed a rescued flock of birds, and we don’t want these Sugarhouse Ducks to be a burden to their forever home. Also, we’d like to reimburse the Ducks and Clucks fund for the cost of all the fencing, rope and other materials needed to catch and save these ducks off the icy pond. The fencing can be re-used again and again, so it’s an investment in future duck rescues.

what
What do you think? Do you have a few bucks to make sure these kids eat well and live happily ever after in their new home?

could
Could you help make sure the only thing they have to worry about is doodling in the mud and floating on the pond?

could you would you
Could you would you?

We appreciate that money is tight for many people, and we appreciate ALL of our friends and followers. But if you can help us help us help the Sugarhouse Park ducks this holiday season, it would mean a lot.

Thank you!

Click here to donate via PayPal or credit card.
https://ducksandclucks.com/blog/donate
(Then click the image of Kozmo that says “For a good Koz!”)

fundraiser
We’ll keep the fundraiser thermometer updated over the next several days. And we’ll keep you posted on the foster duck’s big move!

UPDATE: THE GOAL HAS BEEN MET AND EXCEEDED! NO MORE DONATIONS NEEDED AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!

Thanks and quacks and clucks,

Tiff and the flock

24. November 2014 by Silly Human
Categories: Happy Endings, New Rescues | Comments Off on Trust Fund for the Sugarhouse Ducks