This duckling with the deformed legs now walks (thanks to orthopedic shoes)

The story of Happy Feet, the duckling who moved the web, was born from an episode of cruel indifference. An duck mom was crossing the road with her children when a car has overwhelmed it. Among the witnesses there was a driver who, upset by the scene, decided to stop. He collected the surviving chicks and brought them to the Newhouse Wildlife Rescue in Massachusetts center, where they found an inspected possibility of life.

Among the brothers there was a puppy whose legs had not grown correctly. The clinical details spoke clearly: the fingers folded inwards and the duckling was walking almost on the knuckles, with evident pain. Without a targeted intervention, he could never have moved in a normal way, thus compromising his possibilities of survival.

Special shoes and surprising progress

The director of the refuge, Jane Newhouse, did not give up. With great inventiveness, he made tiny orthopedic sandals using plastic of the lid of a container and adhesive tape. At the beginning the baby did not know how to react, but after a few uncertain steps he began to move with more security and even joy. So the nickname that everyone recognizes him was born: Happy Feet.

The treatment was short but effective. Every day the “shoes” were replaced to keep them clean and dry. After only three days, at the veterinary check, the confirmation came: the feet were finally perfectly flat. The duckling walked like his brothers, free from that weight that risked marking him forever.

For Jane and her collaborators, the story of Happy Feet has a meaning that goes beyond simple rescue. Without that terrible accident, the duckling would probably never have received the necessary care. It is a paradox of fate, which transforms a tragedy into hope.

Don’t you want to lose our news?

You may also be interested in: