Pavarotti’s rescue (along with his two friends, Carrera and Dominga) began with an urgent message. A woman contacted National Placement Manager Alicia Pell with a big problem involving tiny ducklings.
The woman’s partner had purchased two ducklings, and they were scheduled to be shipped through the mail to the man — a vegan who had bought them in an effort to spare them from being raised for meat. Unfortunately, the man was unexpectedly hospitalized, and his partner was out of the country. There would be no one to pick up the hatchlings from the post office when they arrived. At the time we received the message, the ducklings had already been packed into a cardboard box and shipped from Iowa to Desert Hot Springs, CA, by USPS 2-day priority mail. Their need was urgent.
Pavarotti and Dominga. (Photo by Dakota Gale.)
Snuggle time! (Photo by Dakota Gale.)
Snuggle time, part II! (Photo by Dakota Gale.)
Pavarotti is ready to go outside for the day.
The woman asked if we could provide a temporary home for the duckings, but Pell explained that we would need to take full custody of them; this would enable us to provide lifelong care for them, and ensure they received everything they would ever need. In the end, it was agreed that giving the ducklings the opportunity to live out their lives at Farm Sanctuary was the best option for them.
The next day, Pell set out to pick up the ducklings — a task that was much easier said then done.
First, she stopped at the hospital where the birds’ purchaser was receiving treatment. In order to take receipt of the package, she would need a notarized authorization from the purchaser; fortunately, the hospital staff were able to put her in touch with a volunteer who happened to be a notary public. Next, she went to the post office to confirm that they would allow her to take the ducklings if she had the notarized authorization. That done, she returned to the hospital to meet the notary public, who’d brought the necessary paperwork. After explaining their mission to hospital staff, they were allowed into the trauma ICU to see the purchaser. Though he was disappointed that he would not be able to keep the ducklings, he agreed to relinquish custody after Alicia explained that this was the only way we could ensure that they would be safe.
Once all of the documents were signed and in order, Pell rushed back to the post office, hoping that the ducklings would be in the early afternoon shipment. To her dismay, they were not, so she waited until the last shipment of the day — but still no ducklings. Pell got a hotel room in the area to stay overnight, hoping the babies would arrive early the next day. Thankfully they did, but there was a small surprise waiting when she opened the box to check on the scared ducklings: A third duckling was inside.
The trio in the box they were shipped in. We rushed to give them water; the cup visible in the back of the box was not shipped with them.
The man had purchased two ducklings for $5.53 each, and paid $45 for shipping. We suspect that an extra duckling had been included in the event that one of the three would die during transport — an all-too-common outcome for baby birds shipped through the mail. Had no one picked up the ducklings, they would have been shipped back to the sender — which would have been a death sentence for them. Hatcheries only incubate, hatch, and then ship out babies immediately. There is no place to send these babies back.
Pell rushed all three of the ducklings to the vet — where it was soon discovered that all three were dehydrated, requiring subcutaneous fluids. The babies spent a week at the vet, receiving hands-on care which they desperately needed, and also undergoing testing for avian influenza. Their tests came back negative for the disease, and they were finally ready to make their way home to Farm Sanctuary.
After a short stint at our Southern California Shelter, the trio
— who, with the help of our supporters, we named after the opera world’s famous Three Tenors
— made their way to our Northern California Shelter in Orland. Here, they began to grow quickly.
Because male Pekins can sometimes be too rough on the females, we often wind up needing to separate the guys from the gals as they get older. Such was the case with Pavarotti, Dominga, and Carrera
— but of course, we made sure that Pavarotti still had plenty of company.
Pavarotti moved in with three other Pekin males when he became too much for the females to handle. We already had a “bachelor” herd of goats, and now we have a bachelor group of Pekins as well. Pavarotti joined new friends Marmaduck, Heavy D, and Charizard in one of our hutches.
Pavarotti leading the way with buddies Marmaduck, Heavy D, and Charizard.
Here, they have two small ponds to spend their days swimming in and sunbathing near. They are never far from one another, and have long conversations in which everyone is very vocal.
Pavarotti leading the way to the pond.
Pavarotti has become the head duck in this group of boys, and everyone seems to follow his lead. If he jumps in the pond, the others will follow, and if he exits the pond, the others will do the same. If he runs into the hutch, his friends are close behind.
Follow the leader! Pavarotti is the first one out of the pond, followed by his buddies.
He doesn’t seem to mind the extra responsibilities that come with being a leader, and even seems to enjoy knowing that his buddies are always there backing him up.
Pavarotti calling the shots.
Pavarotti loves getting treats, and his favorite is when we sprinkle cut Romaine lettuce in the pond for him and his friends. He is the first one to jump in and start munching on the crunchy greens.
Pavarotti is also a big fan of the sprinkler we have in one of the ponds. He likes to sit in the water and let the light stream of water gently massage him as he swims under it. He will even just stand in front of or right under the water (we like to think he pretends this is rain, since we get so little of it in Orland).
Pavarotti loves taking a shower in the sprinkler!
It’s difficult to think about what could have happened to Pavarotti had we not been there to rescue him. He is such an incredibly happy duck living with his best buds at Farm Sanctuary, spending his days doing all the things ducks love to do.
Pavarotti and his friends enjoying Farm Sanctuary life.
The practice of shipping ducklings, chicks, and poults through the mail is alarmingly widespread. Shipment is perilous for these baby birds, who make the journey with no food or water. Deaths in transit are not uncommon, and the whole process is an incredibly frightening one for the millions of unfortunate babies who go through it. If you, like us, believe that living animals should not be sent through the mail like inanimate objects, please sign our petition to urge the U.S. Postal Service to ban shipments of live animals.
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