My son and his friends found an abandoned duckling down a sewer drain.
What is it about kids who think mom can fix everything including motherless ducklings?
So it's eight o'clock at night, I've already called animal control and gotten the after hours dispatcher, the police station called to let me know the best chance for the little thing was to keep him at least overnight.
We looked online to see how to take care of him and learned returning it to a water front meant almost certain death. We put him in a bucket with some hay underfoot and a water crock with clean rocks in the bottom so he wouldn't drown and made a cornmeal mush for food and set up a heat lamp that was purchased years ago for a science project.
And then I prayed. A lot. A long sleepless night ensued.
Next day was full of doctor appointments. Because going to doctors all the time is the unpleasant reality of our lives. In between, I've got to figure out what to do with this little duck.
He's not looking so good. He's so lonely I don't know if he's going to make it. He keeps languishing and wants someone's hand by him constantly.
I set my son the task of calling all over to see if there was an organization somewhere who takes in baby ducks while I'm dealing with doctors.
Animal Control did not, everywhere he called did not. Is this little creature going to die on my watch?
My children are so sure we'll find a solution. I love that about them.
We own bunnies. When they have problems we take them to an exotic vet. As I look at this little fluffy one who is cuddling up to my son's hand it occurs to me to call our vet.
They take ducks. They have a duck rehabilitater! Suddenly I love my vet! They are the most wonderful people on the planet. I can't believe they haven't achieved sainthood.
We pack him up and my son comforts him on the ride there. If he moves his hand away the little guy peeps at him to come back.
We get to the vet and they welcome him. They tell us it's a good thing he is there because they have another little duck who needs a friend. I love the vet even more. They have a friend for our little guy.
They share an incubator cuddled together.
With this ordeal behind us my kids finally decide he needs a name. We won't have him anymore, but I realize by naming him, they know he will live. We can all feel that. So they name him Phillip. After a moment's thought I say, 'Or Phillipina.'
