A 15-year-old Labrador retriever named Fred has had a loving nature his entire life, even toward animals that some dogs might see as prey. He has a soft spot for ducklings and has experience caring for ducklings that have lost their mothers.
This year, Fred “adopted” his third brood of ducklings after their mother disappeared. He may not look like the father you’d expect of a group of birds, but he takes his role very seriously. If the mother duck does not return, Fred will continue to care for the babies until they can survive on their own.
Fred lives at Mountfitchet Castle in Essex, England, along with many other domesticated animals. 2018 was the first time he showed interest in the Ducks. She took care of a group of nine orphaned ducklings and a year later he took in 14 more. He had to take a break from his parenting duties for a while, but now he’s taking on a new challenge.
A duck named Mary had 15 ducklings in the castle this year, but then she disappeared. There were no signs that a predator had killed her, so her disappearance is a mystery. The staff members at the tourist attraction hope that Mary will return because she was a good mother to the ducklings.
But in the meantime, Fred takes care of the ducklings as if they were his own. Just like in his past experiences, he stepped forward to help without anyone encouraging him to do so. His relationship with the ducklings will melt anyone’s heart!
“He is our father and homemaker,” said owner Jeremy Goldsmith. “Fred is a little more rickety than he was when he was looking after the ducklings last time, but he still has a very loving nature and it’s wonderful to see.”
Mountfitchet Castle has posted many photos of Fred with his new ducklings. The photos show the ducklings curled up next to her and sometimes riding on her back. The ducklings don’t seem to realize that she is a completely different species.
“I think Fred benefits from having a role in life and loves being part of the family here at the castle,” Goldsmith said. “During his 15 years of ownership, Fred has spent a lot of time at the castle with the animals and it has become second nature for him to be among the various rescued animals.”
Goldsmith hopes the ducklings will stay with Fred until they grow up or until their birth mother returns. Until then, Mountfitchet Castle will continue to flood her social media channels with heartwarming content about the elderly dog and the many ducklings she has cared for.
This touching story highlights the beautiful connection that can form between animals and their ability to cross species boundaries to provide love and care. It also reminds us of the importance of empathy and compassion towards all living beings.
These stories often capture people’s attention and admiration and serve as a reminder of the kindness and love that exists in the animal kingdom. They encourage us to appreciate the uniqueness and diversity of relationships that can develop between different species and remind us of the incredible capacity for love that animals possess.
