Current Press Releases

Seven Ducks Abandoned in Orange County Park Reach Safety at Farm Sanctuary

Domestic Birds Left to Fend for Themselves in TeWinkle Park Find New Home at Northern California Shelter  

Orland, CA – June 24, 2008 – Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s largest rescue and refuge network for farm animals in North America, has once again opened its doors to domestic water fowl found abandoned at TeWinkle Park in Costa Mesa, Calif. The recent rescue involving seven ducks – who arrived at Farm Sanctuary’s Orland shelter on Saturday, June 21 – marks the second occasion in three years that the nonprofit has been called upon by a local rescuer to aid at-risk birds from the Orange County recreation area.   

According to eyewitness accounts and rescuer Michelle Berger, Penny, Shelly, Oreo, and friends – the seven Muscovy and Pekin ducks newly-arrived at Farm Sanctuary – had been left by former owners to fend for themselves in TeWinkle Park, becoming easy prey for predators and targets of attacks by humans. Like the ducks and geese who made headlines in 1997 (and again in 2000) when they were shot and killed with pellet guns at the park – as well as the 10 resident geese Farm Sanctuary rescued in 2005 after the pond was drained for construction  – their lives depended on finding safe refuge and the group happily agreed to shelter them.

“Many people assume you can simply release domestic ducks or geese in a park and they can live out a normal life without any care, but this isn’t true,” said Leanne Cronquist, Farm Sanctuary’s California shelter manager. “These animals are domesticated, much like cats and dogs, and, become vulnerable when they are abandoned, especially in unprotected public places. They need not only shelter to keep them safe from harm, but also nourishing food and veterinary attention.”

At Farm Sanctuary in Orland, Calif. the ducks now have a protected pond to swim and play in, a comfortable barn to rest and sleep in, a constant and stable source of fresh food and water, and refuge for life. Joining with other former TeWinkle Park residents, they too will now become ambassadors for their species, showing visitors to their new home just how deserving they are of compassion, protection and special care.

Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at http://www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.