BOCA RATON, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 8, 2018 / If you're one of the millions of people whose lives have been transformed by an animal, you'll probably relate to Chantel Grant's story. Even if you've never had an animal in your life, it's not hard to fall in love with the unique tale of a duck and her rescuer that's swept the viral channels of the Internet in the last month. Move over, Grumpy Cat and Lil' Bub: Petunia the Duck has stolen our hearts, and she's not about to give them back.
The story starts a year ago when Minnesota lawyer Chantel Grant noticed something strange going on in her own backyard. At her practice at GM Law Firm, Chantel has spent a fair amount of time fighting for clients who are buried under heaps of debt. As someone who's used to fighting for the underrepresented in society, Chantel knows plenty about compassion. What she didn't know what just how hard it is for a lone duck to make it in the world without help.
After spending a fair amount of time rescuing stray ducklings in her neighborhood, Chantel was excited to find a nest of Muscovy duck eggs in her backyard one day. She'd been seeing the mother come and go over a period of five years. Now, she'd chosen Chantel's home to make her next. When Chantel told her husband about the nest, they were both excited to welcome the new ducklings into their home and watch them grow up. Sadly, one day after the mother had laid her eggs, Chantel walked into her yard to find only one of them left. She didn't know what happened to the others, or whether they were ever coming back for their little sister. She did know that once that egg hatched, she had to take action.
Chantel called Wildlife Services to see what could be done for the lonely duckling. She was given back a very disappointing answer. Muscovy ducks aren't native to Minnesota, which makes them by definition an invasive species. Because of this label, the wildlife shelter would have to euthanize the duckling once Chantel handed it over. Obviously, this was not an acceptable ending to the story. Chantel took matters into her own hands: This duckling was going to become a part of her family. She named her "Petunia" and brought her into her home to live with her husband and pet Macaws. Now, Petunia is an integral part of the household. She brings so much joy to her parents and gets free reign of the house. Petunia is playful and cuddly like a kitten, excitable like a puppy, and so excited to greet her rescue mom at the end of the day.
"When we get home from work, Petunia is there to greet us," Grant told the website The Dodo. "She is so excited anytime I come home, wagging her tail, and just loving the attention. It is always funny to hear people's reactions when I tell them that we have a pet indoor duck, but to us, she's just part of the family and we cannot imagine life without her."