06/06/2026
Sadly, our patient Pluto was humanely euthanised this week.🦆💕
We understand that some people may find this decision difficult, so we want to be completely transparent about how and why it was made.
When Pluto first came into our care, she had a significant leg injury. Hoping for a full recovery, we spent weeks caring for her with medication, supportive nursing, and physical therapy. While she made some progress, she remained unable to properly use one of her legs. She struggled to walk, swim, and even rest comfortably.
Concerned by her lack of improvement, we arranged radiographs through the SPCA. These revealed osteomyelitis; a serious bone infection affecting the injured leg.
While osteomyelitis can sometimes be treated, treatment would have involved months of intensive care, repeated procedures, and potentially amputation. There was no guarantee that a wild duck would survive the stress of treatment, nor that it would ultimately be successful.
More concerningly, there were signs that the disease process may also have been affecting her remaining weight-bearing leg. Even if treatment had been successful, Pluto was likely facing a future of chronic pain, severe arthritis, and significant mobility issues.
As a wild duck, she would never have been safe to release. Ducks have complex social structures and aggressive breeding behavior. A disabled bird is highly vulnerable and would struggle to compete, avoid injury, or live a normal life.
We could not ethically put a wild animal through months of invasive treatment when the most likely outcome was a life of ongoing pain, limited mobility, and an inability to return to the wild.
We loved Pluto, and we truly did everything we could for her. Sometimes, the kindest and most compassionate decision we can make for a wild animal is to allow them to pass peacefully and with dignity.
Thank you to everyone who cared about Pluto and followed her journey.🦆💓
Team Flock and the birds 🐦 💕
