It was a typical rush-hour drive to work for Janice Mininberg, Women’s Humane Society’s Director of Education, until she came to the busy intersection of Bridgetown Pike and Rt. 413 in Middletown Township, PA. Stopping traffic was a mother Wood Duck and her seven ducklings. The ducklings were desperately trying to keep up with their mother. One duckling was far behind the others and in its haste to catch up, it jumped from the curb, scrambled across a storm drain and fell in.
Meanwhile, two ducklings were stuck in the middle of the intersection afraid to move or when they did, they just tumbled over. Janice parked her car, ran into the intersection, stopped traffic and scooped up the two chicks. She scrambled to catch up to the mother, who was already in the creek. After sliding down the grassy bank, she released the two ducklings into the water.
Sneakers soaked, she climbed back up the bank (praying there was no poison ivy) and ran to check on the duckling that fell into the storm drain. Her call to 911 brought Patrolman Matthew J. Kroiss. Patrolman Kroiss assessed the situation and realized that he would need assistance from the Middletown Highway Department in order to remove the heavy grill covering the storm drain. Soon two men from the Highway Department, Glenn Roach and Eric Gartenmayer, arrrived in their green truck with chains and a crane to lift the grill.
Patrolman Kroiss blocked the intersection with his car, which allowed Mr. Roach and Mr. Gartenmayer to lift the grill quickly so that the duck wouldn’t have time to become scared from the noise and run into the drain pipe. Janice jumped into the storm drain, gave the duckling to Mr. Gartenmayer, and then realized that she couldn’t climb out of the drain. Mr. Roach and Patrolman Kroiss offered their assistance and Janice thanked everyone for taking the time to help the poor little duckling.
Sadly, the mother and the rest of her clutch were nowhere to be found. The only solution was to take the duckling to a wildlife rehabilitation center to be cared for until it can be released into the wild.
The Society was founded on the premise of kindness toward animals and it was very gratifying for Janice to meet three men who truly embody “kindness in action.”
