Little Lost Duckling
Like Dog, Like Duck
Earning Her Trust
Meet Dorothy!
While she cared for the duck, Taylor started calling her Dorothy. As Dorothy continued to recover, a few ideas of what had happened started popping into Taylor's head. She suspected that Dorothy had been an Easter gift that had been abandoned once she got too big or because her family didn’t want to take care of her anymore.
The American Pekin Duck
Not Like Other Ducks
Right from the getgo, Dorothy was very clearly different from other ducks. She was social and always happy to see her new family, even running up to greet them after they came back from work. Taylor and her soon-to-be-husband tried to reintroduce her to the pond, even going so far as placing her in the water. Dorothy didn’t like the water and completely left the pond to return to the couple's home. She was strange, but that was part of her charm.
Gone Missing
The Search
Taylor waited a few days, but Dorothy didn’t return. Panic set in. It was in the midst of wedding planning, so stress was already high, and now one of her beloved animals was gone. She searched for a while, trying to find her missing duck. Any time she saw ducks similar to Dorothy, she’d run at them, hoping to find her, but the ducks flew away.
In Dire Condition
A while later, they found her. Near the pond across from their home, the couple found Dorothy. Dorothy had been attacked by something, and she lay bloody and unmoving near the water. They brought her back to their home and put her in a box, gently cleaning her wounds as Taylor tried calling vets to figure out what to do.
Road to Recovery
After calling around, Taylor found that it would be too expensive to take Dorothy to a vet for help. So, Dorothy stayed in the couple's home, and Taylor did her best to nurse her back to health. Taylor had her wedding and was forced to leave Dorothy at her home alone. Her brother-in-law was charged with coming to check on her and their dog. However, when they returned, Dorothy almost miraculously seemed completely healed and back to normal.
Joining the Family
Not knowing what had hurt Dorothy (and if it was still out there), Taylor moved her into their backyard. Dorothy seemed completely content and was given a food dish, a water bowl, and a small pool for her to get into. Taylor would check on Dorothy every morning and then move onto the garden with both Johnny and Dorothy trailing behind her. Dorothy was happy and safe with her new home.
Nemesis of the Neighbors
Taylor loved Dorothy, and Dorothy seemed to love her too, but life with Dorothy wasn’t without its problems. Every morning at about 6 a.m. Dorothy would start quacking loudly for food, and as she grew, she also became more vocal. That among a few other things made Taylor worry about how her neighbors would react. So, she began trying to find a new home for Dorothy.
A New Home
After a brief search, Taylor found that the perfect place for Dorothy was a lot closer than she’d thought. After asking around at work, Taylor's co-worker Ryan said he would take in Dorothy. Taylor just knew that she’d found Dorothy the perfect new home. So, in September 2018, Dorothy moved to her new home!
New Housemates
Go Bananas
After a little while of Dorothy living with her new family, Ryan noticed something strange. He had seen Dorothy eating a banana peel, which isn’t exactly a typical snack for most ducks. So, he called Taylor up to try to clear up the confusion. Taylor was surprised and revealed that she’d shared bananas with Dorothy as a snack. It was amusing, and Dorothy still likes to enjoy the occasional banana as a nice snack.
Leader of the Pack
Soon, Dorothy set up shop as the head of Ryan’s pack of ducks. With a small pack of four total, Dorothy became the leader, which surprised him. It’s rare for female ducks to be seen as flock leaders, but Dorothy established herself prominently, and one of the males acts essentially as her second in command.
Playing With The Big Dogs
Another strange thing about Dorothy? She doesn’t run from fights. She’s scarred from fights and her near-death incident, but she’s not afraid. Ryan knows that his dogs like to play with the ducks; nothing dangerous, they just playfully chase the ducks. However, Dorothy didn’t run like the other ducks. Instead, she ducked her head and ran right at the dogs. It surprised both Russell and the dogs.