Herman the baby duck only knew a life of filth, encompassed in thin rusty bars with very little hope of getting to live a normal ducky life.

The unlucky duckling was surrounded by his own waste and rotting food, covered in flies and maggots.

During a check for backyard dogs at a rural Virginia home, PETA fieldworkers discovered Herman. Luckily, a heart-to-heart conversation with his owner led to his rescue.

fieldworkers accidentally discovered a young duck, whom they named Herman, while visiting a rural Virginia home. PETA

The staff at PETA knew Herman needed more space to waddle, more water to wade in and other ducks to preen those precious feathers with.

"Ducks are wonderful, social animals who need space to explore, friends to bond with, and, most important of all, water to splash around in," said PETA Vice President Colleen O'Brien.

The organization's workers acted quickly to get Herman clean and back to good health. Then, they found him a perfect home at a vegetarian farm that had a pond and other webbed-feet friends.

Herman took to his new digs like, well, a duck to water. PETA

You can see in the video at the top of the page that Herman loves his new home, and he's even made a new best friend, a fellow duck named Silver.

PETA reminds those who are considering a pet duck that it is most likely a 10-year commitment and that you should do your research about what kind of space, water and interactions a duck needs for a happy life.