Dog adopts orphaned ducklings after their mother disappears

Dog adopts 15 orphaned ducklings after their mother disappears
© fzant GETTY_IMAGES
Dog adopts 15 orphaned ducklings after their mother disappears
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A labrador named Fres decided to become a foster father to 15 ducklings and ‘adopted’ them after their mother disappeared unknowingly.

It's not every day you hear that a 15-year-old dog has become a father to 15 ducklings. But it’s true! Fred the Labrador stepped in as a foster father for these ducklings whose mother disappeared mysteriously.

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Fred and his duck children

The senior dog is definitely an experienced parent to orphaned ducklings as it’s not the first time that he adopted ‘furbabies’. Fred made headlines in 2018 when he stepped into fatherhood by adopting 9 motherless ducklings, as per People magazine.

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Posted by Mountfitchet Castle on Tuesday, July 5, 2022

The ‘duckling dad’ who is a resident of Mountfitchet Castle in Essex, England, welcomed his newest group of ducklings this year after his first adoption. Sadly the 15 ducklings’ mother disappeared from the castle’s ground overnight and was nowhere to be found.

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Fatherhood for Fred

Fred loves to cuddle with his 15 adopted children and can often be seen carrying them on his back.

Fred, the famous Labrador dog is not ducking out of his duties as he again steps in to foster seven day-old ducklings....

Posted by Mountfitchet Castle on Tuesday, May 28, 2019

According to the Independent, Fred’s owner and Mountfitchet Castle director Jeremy Goldsmith says it’s not unusual behaviour for the senior dog:

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Over the 15 years of owning him, Fred has spent a lot of time at the Castle with the animals and it has become second nature to him being amongst the various rescued animals

The ducklings will be raised with Fred until they’re old enough to leave the castle grounds by themselves.

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