Two pet ducks are available for adoption

By Hope Bidegainberry on September 18, 2020

A pair of pet ducks who survived for eleven days in the active fire and evacuation zones during the CZU Lightning Complex Fires are now available for adoption at Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA (PHS/SPCA). 

“Forest and Meadow are true survivors of the recent destructive wildfires.  They lived with their owner who was evacuated due to the fires, but he wasn’t able to evacuate with them,” said PHS/SPCA’s Communication Manager Buffy Martin Tarbox. “For eleven days the ducks avoided the fire and smoke, foraging for food and water sources until we were able to rescue them on August 31 with the assistance of other agencies who provided an escort into the evacuated zone.”

Forest and Meadow are a bonded pair of ducks. Forest is a male Mallard duck and Meadow is female Peking duck. The owner of the ducks lost his home in the fires and made the difficult decision to surrender the duo to PHS/SPCA who pledged to re-home the ducks together. The adoption fee for the pair is $20.

“It is truly a miracle these birds survived everything.  Since they are pet ducks, they are not used to having to fend for themselves in the wild, and especially in the middle of a raging wildfire,” according to Tarbox.  “They were covered in soot and ash, dehydrated, underweight and quite hungry when they arrived at our shelter. But Forest and Meadow are doing much better now and ready for a new home.”

In an effort to help control the spread of COVID-19, PHS/SPCA is open for adoptions by appointment only.  Those interested in meeting Forest and Meadow need to call 650-340-7022 to schedule an appointment.

PHS/SPCA provided safe shelter for 98 companion animals for San Mateo County residents who we evacuated from the fire zones. Many of these animals have since been reunited with their families.