Annabelle joined us after being found in a densely populated city, standing on a low concrete barrier at a busy intersection, surrounded by traffic in all directions.

Due to a popular “foster a duck” program in the area at the time, it was suspected that Annabelle had come from there originally, but was now abandoned and in a dangerous situation.

The “foster” a duck program had quickly gained popularity that year. It consisted of people paying a fee to care for ducklings for a short amount of time, then returning them to the farm to be processed for meat. 

Over 1,000 families participated in this program, but due to misleading language and a lack of transparency, they didn’t realize they weren’t actually “fostering.” Instead, the families were putting in the work of caring for the ducklings until they were old enough to be “processed.” 

And paying a $150 fee to do it!

The program focused on families in three major cities, all of which had regulations that prohibited the keeping of waterfowl within city limits. When these families learned about the fate awaiting the ducks if they were returned, they looked for other options. The families couldn’t keep the ducks themselves due to the bylaws, and it didn’t take long for farm animal sanctuaries to be inundated with requests to take the ducks in.

When the program owner got wind of the ducks getting placed in forever homes rather than coming back to the farm, the repsponded by saying “some people are just trying to keep their babies alive,” but their new policy would put an end to that by making it mandatory to bring the ducks back to the farm.

This turn of events led to national news coverage about the situation. 

During a CBC interview, the owner of the program proudly stated that “should the ducks meet an untimely demise while in a family’s care, which in the past has included being crushed underfoot by a child or eaten by a hungry raccoon or hawk, she will happily replace the duck with another of the same age, free of charge.”

Yet, because of social media outcry and public scrutiny, the owner demanded that any ducklings still alive at the end of the “foster” period be returned without exceptions, refunds, or the option to pay an additional fee to keep the ducks indefinitely (an option the program had previously offered for families who didn’t want to see the ducks they cared for be killed).

Over 50 ducks that season found homes through one sanctuary alone. Hundreds more weren’t returned to the program and found homes through or at the various farm sanctuaries. 

Whether Annabelle truly ended up in that intersection as a result of the program is something we’ll never know for sure. What we do know for sure is that years later, Annabelle is still known as the belle of the ball here, still safe and sound, and still enjoying her days hanging out with her friends Daisy, Milo, and Gladys. 

If you recognize this image, you likely have a copy of our 2026 calendar. Annabelle was featured in April, a page sponsored in loving memory of Lee Whitney (1935 – 2022) & Aaron Whitney (1971 – 2022) by Rebecca, Tran, Alice, & Hannah.