‘Siri, show me a visual representation of “peace”.’ (Picture: Mountfitchet Castle / SWNS.com)

An old dog has become a stay-at-home dad for nine little ducklings after their mother abandoned them.

Fred the labrador stepped up after the duck mum upped and left last Thursday (17 May).

The ducklings were found wandering around lost and alone near the battlements at Mountfitchet Castle near Stansted, Essex, where the 10-year-old dog lives.

The staff member who found them was extremely worried about them fending for themselves but they needn’t have worried as Fred was never going to leave them flying solo.


In fact, he’s been babysitting the little fluffballs ever since.

Fred doing the perfect dad job of taxi driver

(Picture: Mountfitchet Castle / SWNS.com)

Cuddles with dad

(Picture: Mountfitchet Castle / SWNS.com)

Our hearts can’t take this

(Picture: Mountfitchet Castle / SWNS.com)

‘Fred has got an absolutely wonderful nature. They absolutely love him,’ says Fred’s owner, Jeremy Goldsmith, who is also director of Mountfitchet Castle.



‘We knew the mother duck was nesting and then suddenly these ducklings appeared but she was nowhere to be seen,’ reveals Jeremy.

‘We think it was possibly a fox.’

You say this Jeremy, but there have been (very much unconfirmed) reports of the duck mum living it up on the Costa del Sol, and someone thinks they saw her at a Travelodge in Hitchin.

There’s also every chance she’s gone to live with this duck family in their miniature village.

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