DURAND — A bum leg hasn't kept Snuggles down.

The joints in the 2-year-old duck's left leg are out of alignment from a birth defect. Because that leg is out of commission, the right one doesn't have the muscle to support its weight. Still, Snuggles can use them to push around a tiny wheelchair, and there's hope it might walk one day.

The duck arrived about two weeks ago at Hoo Haven, a Durand wildlife rescue service on Cleveland Road. A family brought it in after one of them found it living with someone who kept Snuggles in dirty conditions.

"(Snuggles) had a crappy first two years of life," Hoo Haven Director/CEO Karen Herdklotz said. "She went through all that and ended up happy and chipper."

Snuggles — the staff hasn't been able to identify its gender and uses "he" and "she" interchangeably — loves company, too. Pick Snuggles up, change its bandages or give it a nudge toward its food and drink and it might return the favor with a nuzzle or an affectionate nibble. A baby pelican named Buttercup — about two feet taller than Snuggles — has adopted the duck as its mama/papa, and stays by its side.

The bird has become a favorite among the facility's staff.

"When we get animals at Hoo Haven that have started off their lives so terribly and have such a good spirit, we want to do whatever we can," said Toni Murray, a volunteer at Hoo Haven.

And so there is an effort afoot to pay for prostheses for both of Snuggles' legs that will enable it to walk. A GoFundMe page exceeded its goal of $2,500 in less than a week. The prostheses are made at My Pet's Brace LLC in Morgantown, Pennsylvania.

"I am truly, from the bottom of my heart, very moved that when you let people know you have a need, they do rise to the occasion," Herdklotz said.

This marks the first time Hoo Haven has set up a GoFundMe page, and it's also one of the rare instances Hoo Haven has housed a domestic animal; traditionally, it's for wildlife.

"(Snuggles) had such an usual story," Herdklotz said. "If anyone else had taken him in, he would have just been put down. His heart is what started winning everybody over."

When Snuggles came to Hoo Haven a few weeks ago, Herdklotz wasn't confident in what she calls a "Walt Disney ending." Hoo Haven is licensed to perform euthanasia, but they don't; instead, they outsource to local animal doctors.

Jim Alaimo founded My Pet's Brace in 2010. The company has provided prostheses and braces for dogs, cats, cows, llamas, sheep, goats and at least a couple of ducks.

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My Pet's Brace will decide on the best course of action when Snuggles arrives in about two weeks.

"It all depends on Snuggles' mobility and environment," said Anna Spangler, marketing specialist for My Pet's Brace. "Based on those factors, we will make a device that will be most comfortable and helpful for him."

Krista Botkin, a Belvidere North High School graduate studying Fish, Wildlife and Conservation at Colorado State University, is the lead intern at Hoo Haven this summer. She'll be transporting Snuggles to Pennsylvania.

“I think it’s amazing the amount of money raised in such a short amount of time," she said. "The community outreach on this has been phenomenal.”

The community has helped in other ways, too. Snuggles last week received a new wheelchair custom-made by Kyle Watts, who works at Makerite Manufacturing in Roscoe with Murray.

"Being happy and in such bad shape, for a duck, we're really anxious and hopeful that we can make her life enjoyable," Murray said.

Herdklotz said Snuggles is thriving, in part, because of its companionship with Buttercup the pelican.

"Ducks are social. You should never see a duck alone; that's not a good thing," Herdklotz said. "Not everyone can sit in here and keep her company. It makes her feel good that she isn’t sitting here (alone). If she’s sitting here by herself, that’s going to make her sad.”

Snuggles is receiving water therapy at Hoo Haven to help strengthen the muscles in its leg in preparation for the prostheses.

Herdklotz said Snuggles' story strikes a chord with the community because people love to root for the underdog — or in this case, the underduck.

"I think people love to see animals and people that overcome," Herdklotz said. "You get a little glitch, but that doesn't mean you're down for the count."

Adam Poulisse: 815-987-1344; apoulisse@rrstar.com; @adampoulisse