WILMINGTON — In December, New Hanover County Deputies seized more than 150 ducks from a property in the county and charged Cynthia Huber with cruelty to animals. Due to the size of the bust, New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office turned to Skywatch Bird Rescue for help.
According to Ameila Mason, founder and director of Skywatch, this was the largest case of animal neglect in the county and the worst case she has been a part of.
The birds have been cared for at Skywatch since the initial rescue and the cost of care has continued to increase.
The conditions
From starvation to broken bones, the birds were in poor shape when they arrived at the rescue, and they had apparently been kept in the poor conditions for several years, Mason said.
“Skywatch Bird Rescue has been caring for the Ducks since they were removed and seized a week before Christmas in December and we have incurred thousands of dollars in expenses,” Mason said. “Most of these ducks were starved to the brink of death, some had broken bones, all of them were sick with upper respiratory infections, eye infections, large tumors and more.”
The majority of the birds were Muscovy Ducks but there was also a goose, and several cats rescued at the property, according to Mason.
Skywatch was founded in 2010 and Mason said she has dealt with multiple rescues including 100 roosters from a cockfighting bust.
When describing the conditions she encountered when she and several volunteers went to rescue the ducks, Mason said, “It was literally the worst day of my life.”
Animal control has provided support to Skywatch, the amount of care and medicines needed for the ducks has been monumental, and not nearly enough, she said.
Several of the ducks perished due to the extent of their neglect, and rehabilitation for the surviving birds is a daily battle. The ducks were kept in an area with little to no dry land without any fresh water. The pond in which the birds were expected to live, bathe, and drink from was green with feces.
The cost and what’s next
When Skywatch got the initial call to help rescue the birds, Mason knew there was little chance she would ever see any reimbursement for the services provided and she was OK with that, she said.
What she did not expect was for the person who kept the birds in such poor conditions would walk away without a single animal cruelty charge.
Mason said she has heard from multiple sources that District Attorney Ben David is preparing to drop all charges against Huber, something Mason hopes doesn’t happen.
“The county asked us to assist in their removal and to care for them, and now the DA’s office is letting her walk free with no charges,” Mason said.
Mason said she has not heard anything officially from David or his office about the status of the charges. David’s office also did not immediately respond to requests for a comment on the pending charges.
Mason said she hopes David and the District Attorney’s Office will seriously reconsider dropping the charges, if that is in fact what is planned.
“We are willing to care for these ducks for the rest of their lives, that is our gift. But she should not get off scot-free,” Mason said.
Summer is by far the busiest time of the year for Skywatch, and the amount of resources needed to care for the rescued birds has taken its toll on the organization, Mason said.
Since the group relies wholly on donations, this endeavor has significantly impacted the groups ability to care for other animals. Volunteers have even quit due to the amount of work put into caring for the ducks, Mason said.
Anyone wishing to make a donation can do so online, or drop supplies off in person at the sanctuary.
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