The quack shack is growing.
North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre admitted one lucky duck over the holidays, according to wildlife manager Julie Mackey.
The domestic khaki Campbell duck was brought into the centre a few days after Christmas.
"She's hungry and thin but she's not injured," said Mackey, who noted the duck will join a flock of domestic ducks in the affectionately named "quack shack" if she isn't claimed by an owner once she reaches a healthy weight.
The duck was spotted waddling around Parksville — and waltzed right into Heather Blackwell's home near Jensen Avenue in the city centre.
"She arrived on our door step... my husband went outside to walk to the mailbox and she was just standing there, we were like 'is it normal for there to be a duck standing on our door step?,'" Blackwell told The NEWS. "She just followed (my husband) to our mailbox then just walked into our house."
Blackwell said her six-month-old and three-year-old were "pretty excited" about the duck, begging her to keep it.
"I considered it for half a second," she said. "She's so sweet and really pretty."
After posting about the duck on Facebook, Blackwell said somebody who lives along Corfield Street commented that the same duck was hanging out in their pond recently. "So she's obviously been couch surfing for a while... and making friends along the way," she said. "I wonder how many other people had her in their yard."
Domestic ducks, like chickens, are common on farms and often used for eggs, explained NIWRC's Mackey. Some escape through broken fences, while others are able to fly away if they aren't too heavy.
Arrowsmith Animal Rescue Foundation (AARF) helped connect the duck to the NIWRC. The foundation is active around Parksville Qualicum Beach educating pet owners, providing referrals to local resources, promoting animal welfare and reuniting lost/found pets on Vancouver Island with their guardians.