Jessica 🎃

Sometimes I think Labradors are so ridiculously friendly that evolution simply forgot to explain to them that not every small creature they meet is their responsibility. Back in May 2018, at Mountfitchet Castle in Essex, England, a 10-year-old Labrador named Fred somehow ended up becoming a single father to nine ducklings after their mother disappeared and while the staff were understandably worried about what would happen to the little birds, Fred apparently decided that this was now his problem. And the best part is that the ducklings seemed perfectly happy with this arrangement, following him around, climbing onto his back, cuddling up to him and even accompanying him into the castle moat for a swim, because apparently nobody involved in this situation was particularly concerned about the fact that their new father was a dog. You'd think that raising nine children who aren't even the same species as you would be enough parenting experience for one lifetime, especially when your children insist on using you as public transport, but Fred apparently disagreed. Because in 2022, when he was around 15 years old, another mother duck disappeared, leaving behind 15 ducklings, and Fred once again took on the job of looking after them. At an age when most dogs would probably prefer a comfortable bed, a quiet afternoon and absolutely no responsibilities, this Labrador somehow found himself running a daycare center for an entire flock of tiny yellow creatures. And honestly, I find it fascinating that an animal can be so gentle and tolerant towards creatures that aren't even remotely related to it. Fred didn't care that they were ducks. They were small, they needed someone, and apparently that was enough. Although I do wonder whether, at some point, he looked at all 15 of them sitting on his back and thought: "I really need to stop making eye contact with unattended children."