u/ThanksForTheRain

Our duck was mauled by a family of raccoons this morning and it's really messing with me

My roommate has a chicken coop and a few ducks, I've grown attached to them. They always greet me when I come home and brighten my day with their silly antics.

I heard a commotion outside around 5AM. When I went to investigate, I found our smallest duck, Edward, severely wounded and surrounded by a family of raccoons. The same raccoons I had chased off before. The same raccoons I chose not to shoot with a pellet gun for the safety of our coop birds, because they were all still young cubs, except the mother. A couple months later, this happened.

By the time I got to him, he looked like he was about to die. I had grabbed the pellet gun, but it didn't work. I was already sobbing at this point. I grabbed the nearest tool I could find - a hammer - and chased the attackers away. I scooped him up and brought him inside the garage to assess the wounds and see if I could treat them. He had a huge hole in the top of his head. His right eye was completely destroyed. His left eye was bulging weirdly. He had significant puncture wounds in the neck, back and legs.

I spent a good hour sobbing on the garage floor, desperately trying to clean his wounds and make him comfortable. At a couple points his neck went completely limp and I could tell he was fighting. I kept whispering, "sweet boy, I know it hurts, I'm so sorry". I knew the reality of the situation, he most likely wasn't going to survive and if he did, his quality of life would be terrible. I couldn't \*not\* try to help.

I let him have some alone time and he seemed a little hopeful at times. When my roommate woke up he yelled at me for bringing a bleeding animal in the garage. But I couldn't let myself not do anything. I couldn't leave him outside to be torn apart. I know I probably extended his suffering further, but I would have hated myself if I didn't show him kindness.

My roommate decided to cull him. Not a call I was willing to make, or something I was willing to do. I cried for hours. Seeing my roommate come back with a trash bag, I felt a deep pit in my stomach.

I can't stop thinking about it. I can't stop thinking about his neck going limp and him slipping in and out. I don't regret trying to help him. But the whole thing has me fucked up.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a photo, I was pressed for time and only saw them as I was going past the street.

5:20 AM on 14th Ave NE

Two dogs, seem to be approachable. One seems to be some kind of shepherd mix, the other seemed similar in size and shape but I didn't get a good look. They are traveling together.

I hope this might help them get home!