Domestic duck found injured with blow dart lodged through head in Spring Lake

SALT LAKE CITY — A domestic duck was found injured with a blow dart pierced through its head in Spring Lake on Saturday morning.

According to a press release from the Wasatch Wanderers Animal Rescue, the duck was quickly taken to a veterinarian for emergency care after being found struggling.

Due to the severity of its injuries, with the dart “nearly touching its trachea,” the duck had to be humanely euthanized.

“This duck was clearly suffering,” said Wasatch Wanderers President Adri Ballif. “He had been illegally abandoned at the pond, a place where domestic ducks cannot survive on their own, and then someone deliberately shot him. It’s heartbreaking and completely unacceptable.”

Domestic ducks “are not equipped to live in the wild,” Ballif wrote in the press release, because they “rely on humans for food, cannot migrate, and often fall victim to predators, starvation, or cruelty.”

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“This is not just animal cruelty — it’s a crime,” Ballif added. “We’re asking the community to help us protect the ducks that people have abandoned and to speak up if they see something like this happening.”

Local authorities are investigating the incident; Wasatch Wanderers urges the public to contact Utah County Animal Services at 801-794-3970 with any information.

Wasatch Wanderers also urges the public not to abandon or harm domestic animals, as doing so is illegal and cruel.

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