GALION — Nestled just on the outskirts of Galion on Ohio 309 sits an unassuming place called Happy Quack Estate where a kind-hearted woman takes in ducks and cares for them until they can find a home to call their own.
Pam Tischer has always had a soft spot in her heart for animals, and just about two years ago she started her duck rescue mission with just a simple call from a good samaritan who told her there were eight ducks dumped off at Ammans Reservoir during a time when temperatures were below zero.
The rest is history.
From just eight ducks two years ago, Tischer now has 65 of the fine feathered friends happily roaming around an area in her backyard created just for them.
“Somebody knew I had put a pond in and asked me if I would go rescue them,” Tischer explained. “Bill Bessinger helped me catch them and I brought them out here and after that anytime anyone would dump one I’d bring it out here.
“It started out as just a 10-by-10 space, and now it’s 150 long and 50 feet wide, plus what they have in the shed and the individual cages,” she noted. “I just adopted out eight in just the last week.”
Tischer said she is a member of a lot of groups that are geared toward people who have ducks and they send people her way when they want to adopt a duck or who want to drop off a duck they found.
Tischer pointed out she only adopts the ducks out to people who are going to have the ducks as pets.
“I will only surrender or let anyone adopt one or anything is if I know they’re going to be pets. I will not adopt out if somebody wants them for food. Because to me they are all pets,” she said. “The white ones are usually raised for meat, but to me these are my pets. So I check everyone out to make sure they’re legit and what they are telling me is true.”
Besides rescuing and adopting ducks out, Tischer said she happily invites families to bring their children out to enjoy the ducks — watch them waddle around, pet the ducks and even feed them while they are at Happy Quack Estate.
Tischer said the ducks all have their own personalities and she has names for all of them.
“I never had ducks before,” she said. “When I was growing up we had chickens, but when someone said an animal needed help I was going to help them. It doesn’t matter if they’re hurt or not, I’ll still take them in.”
She noted the rescue is a non-profit and for the past two years they have been paying for all the food, bedding supplies, and wood for the sheds.
“And then two weeks ago we got our first donation,” Tischer said. “In the winter time we go through about eight bags of food a week and each bag is $14. There’s upgrades we have to do and donations would definitely help that. Like we need pea gravel and salt and sand because if we put that down on the ground it doesn’t get as muddy and it’s easier to wash down and keep clean for them.”
Happy Quack Estate also has a Facebook page where people can look at photos and keep up with what is going on and Tischer said there is a link on the page where people may make donations.
Anyone wishing to make a donation other than on Facebook, or those wanting to adopt a duck or just come out and look at the ducks, may call Tischer at 419-631-1299. Happy Quack Estate is located at 7791 Ohio 309, just across the street from the Ohio 61/Ohio 309 intersection.
