Most people have compassion for animals. But not too many people would go to the lengths that a few Kirkland residents did early this month to help an injured duck at Juanita Beach.

Kirkland resident Terri Fletcher spotted the duck with a dart stuck in its feathers on Friday, Oct. 2.

Fletcher tried to help the injured animal.

“A lot of people tried to help me,” said Fletcher. “My mom (Bonnie Fletcher) was online looking for anything (that could help).”

Fletcher called two separate numbers she found but to no avail. In the mean time, a family friend, Julianne Jepson called the non-emergency phone number for the kirkland police.

“(They) were very helpful, but it was a full moon, and we were on the bottom of the list,” said Fletcher.

A dispatcher told them to collect the evidence and bring it into the Police Department.

Kirkland residents David and Patty Tucker offered up a net to try and capture the injured duck. With the net in hand, and help from Kirkland residents Jeff and Roxanne Heinz, the group went back to Juanita Beach at 7 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 to see if they could capture the duck to get it help, but could not find the duck.

Friend Sue Contreras called her vet and received tips on how to safely capture the duck.

“It was valuable information,” said Fletcher.

The group went back out at 4 p.m. and spotted the duck.

“We knew we had to get him out of the water, so, Roxanne had bread and we got him up on the beach circled and trapped him in a net,” said Fletcher. “Jeff actually (searched on the internet) on how to trap a duck in a net. He did everything perfect.”

The group was able to remove the blow dart and gently released the duck.

“The bird flew away and we high-fived each other,” said Fletcher. “The caring and the people who stepped up for this duck was amazing to me. Three people who had never met before can make a difference.”

But the difficulty after the release has led the group to try and get the public’s help to stop who originally shot the duck with the dart.

“I went to the Kirkland Police department to file a report on the duck that we saved,” said Fletcher. “The dispatcher sent me to animal control, animal control sent me to fish and wildlife, fish and wildlife sent me to the Kirkland Police department. We now have the blow dart and the pictures for evidence, in case it happens again, and I have nowhere to go. We are just trying to get some public awareness out there, so this doesn’t happen again.”

To report evidence in this matter please contact the Kirkland Police Department at 425-587-3400.