It was a cold January evening in Michigan when Matthew Lyson and his wife, Theresa, received an urgent phone call. As the founders of Michigan Duck Rescue and Sanctuary, the Lysons are used to people calling at all times of the day with rescue requests. And while they were hoping to spend a warm night at home, they knew whoever was on the other line needed their help immediately.
“We try to answer every chance we get because we know that helpless angels in need do not work on a time schedule, nor do they wait for normal living hours to require help,” Lyson wrote on Facebook.
When they answered, a woman on the other line named Pam described a heartbreaking scene. A gaggle of ducks sat abandoned near her home, huddled together while trying to survive the frigid temperatures.
Pam sent a video of the ducks to the Lysons, who wasted no time jumping in the car and racing to help them.
“It was just so sad, the neglected baker’s dozen were cuddled in a ball, just seeking community warmth,” Lyson wrote.
The Lysons drove 45 minutes to where the ducks had been abandoned, calling some of their volunteers for help. Unfortunately, their volunteers were already busy rescuing a needy coyote, but when the Lysons arrived at Pam’s house, there was already a group of people waiting to help.
“[W]e were happy to see several additional neighbors of Pam willing to assist,” Lyson wrote. “Again, it was so sad to just see [the ducks] there, barely 20 feet from two roads, in the dark and very cold night, literally starving to death in just over ‘feels like 13-degree’ temperature.”
As the Lysons surveyed the scene and came up with a rescue plan, Pam gave them the rundown on the ducks’ backstory.
“The approximately year-old ducks were abandoned from a nearby house, whose owners were no longer living there nor caring for them,” Lyson wrote. “They had apparently not had a substantive meal and water in at least ten days. Some thought others were caring for them, but they were not.”
Within minutes of arriving, the Lysons and their volunteers began their rescue mission. While they usually use nets to capture sitting ducks, they decided to start with a less conspicuous approach.
“Rather than bring out nets immediately and possibly startle them, we slowly set up two carriers closely together near the shivering angels and had everyone tighten the perimeter around them as we tried to gently [guide] them in,” Lyson wrote. “Most of the thirteen went in with little resistance, but of course, a small handful had to make us chase them a bit, but not too much, as even they knew it was too cold to play games.”
It didn’t take long for the Lysons and their eager team of volunteers to safely secure all the ducks. Lyson combed the surrounding area for any sign of more ducks, then got back in his truck and drove home with a new adorable gaggle in tow.
The gaggle of rescued ducks settled into Lyson’s sanctuary that evening, enjoying a delicious and hearty meal before snuggling up for a full night’s sleep in their warm barn.
It would’ve been easy for the Lysons to ignore their ringing phone that frigid night, but the selfless couple couldn’t bear the idea of leaving innocent ducks to fend for themselves. And thanks to their quick response, they now get to share their warm home with a group of babies who need it the most.
“We can always come back to the comfort of the warm house; the animals cannot,” Lyson wrote.
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