Control your dogs around wildlife warns nature lover (From Warrington Guardian)

Control your dogs around wildlife warns nature lover

10:50am Sunday 20th May 2012 in News

A NATURE lover is calling on dog owners to keep their pets under control after he came to the aid of an injured duck.

Darren Moston, of The Old Quays, Latchford, spotted the injured duck at Lymm Dam with lots of its feathers pulled out.

Vets who later treated the female bird said the injuries appeared to come from a dog attack.

Darren said: “I wish people would stop their dogs chasing wildlife around the dam and keep them more under control. Had I not found her she would have died painfully and slowly.

“She was dumped at Lymm Dam with two other domestic ducks. As I go most days I kept an eye on her and she began to greet me when I arrived there.

“About four weeks ago I noticed she was limping a little but as she is quite a large duck, I thought it had something to do with that.

“The next time I found her pressed up against a fence. She couldn’t walk and was in a right state with lots of her feathers missing.

“We phoned the RSPCA but by the time they got there I couldn’t find her again and thought she had died.

“I went back later in the day and managed to find her in a bush. I picked her up and took her to my mum’s house where I called the RSPCA again.”

But the duck needed urgent medical treatment so they took her to a vets.

She was eventually moved to a specialist care centre in Manchester where she stayed for three weeks.

Last weekend Darren was allowed to collect the duck and she has now settled into her new home at a private house.

“I know people say it’s only a duck, but she is lovely. She has a lot of recovering to do yet,” he added.