By Meet an Amazing Pet Duck Who Thinks He is a Dog
June 11, 2021
Elway, a rescued pet duck, lives with eight dogs (his best friends). And he seems to think that he is a dog himself. His owner, Lindsay, drove 5 hours to an animal rescue to look for him when he was only 4 weeks old. When they returned home, the six dogs they owned at the time greeted them, wagging their tails in anticipation.
“It was probably around this time that Elway took the dogs and started hanging out with them, even though we have other ducks here on our property,” Lindsay said.
Elway always seems to want the company of his dog brothers and sisters and acts like one of the pack. Lindsay says she has learned where her feeding area is at dinner time, just like the dogs. He also flies over the couches to hug the dogs and naps with them.
Elway has a best friend.
“When he’s not doing that, you can usually find him snuggling with one of our dogs on the dog’s bed,” he said.
Of all the dogs, Elway seems to connect the most with her 3-pound Chihuahua named Stout. Lindsay says that Stout was a puppy around the same time they had Elway as a duckling, so they grew up together.
“They definitely like to go on all adventures and have fun together, there’s no question about that.”
A pet therapy duck?
In fact, they have taken Elway to nursing homes, elementary, middle and high schools, preschools, and even hospitals. Little did they know of his The pet duck would grow up to be a therapy animal. and make people smile. They even put him on a leash, just like their dogs!
In the hospitals and nursing homes, some of the patients who use wheelchairs hold Elway’s strap while he pulls them. It brightens their day being able to interact with Elway and distracts their minds from their struggles for a while.
Elway, the duck, hitting the city.
Because Elway grew up surrounded by dogs, he acts very friendly and tame towards strangers. Even with a small crowd of people standing around him, he doesn’t look out of date and he actually loves the attention!
“Making an impact, a positive impact, in other people’s lives is the message Elway would like to share with everyone,” Lindsay said.
She says that even though he’s different from his brothers and sisters, he makes people smile, and that’s what counts. Ducks don’t normally become therapy animals, but Elway pet duck is special. Despite the fact that it has no legs and no fur, it brings joy to people with its own personal charm and cuteness, just like dogs.
“Elway has certainly dubbed himself the number 7 dog in our house, and I don’t think any of us will accept it any other way.”
He sure seems to fit in perfectly with the family and gets along wonderfully with the other pets. He does everything with dogs, and they seem to consider him one of their own. On his Instagram page, he seems to like more to walk on the beach, hang out on the pier, and hug the dogs. Of course, she has a pretty busy schedule as a therapy animal, but in her spare time, Elway loves adventures.
He is quite well known in his town and has even been featured in the local Connecticut news. Elway is truly a lucky duck, who sees life outside of animal rescue and lives with a loving family on a farm.
Final thoughts on rescuing a pet duck
When you think of animal rescue, you probably think of common dogs, cats, and other pets. Most people don’t realize that ducks are abandoned just like other animals, and for some of the same reasons. Well-meaning parents can buy ducklings at grocery stores. But as they get older, they lose their cute, fuzzy appearance. They need much more time and care than many people can provide. And then the owners end up releasing them illegally.
Owners will often free their ducks in public or private ponds. Unfortunately, domestic birds do not have the same survival instincts as wild birds and generally cannot fly. They depend on humans to feed and protect them, so when left alone, ducks have no idea how to survive. They can become victims of local predators, other birds, or even humans.
If you have pet ducks that you can no longer care for, take them to an animal sanctuary or rescue. That way, they will receive proper care and can live a long and happy life protected from predators. All animals deserve our love because they bring so much joy and comfort to our lives. You may not automatically think of a duck as a pet. But Elway shows that sometimes we can find love in the most unlikely places.
