Missing ducklings and Crushed Box

[Kipmama]

Hi there! this happened to me 2 weeks ago and I've contacted several people and places about this but now I'm not sure what else to do. I ordered ducklings from a hatchery that I have been ordering from for a while and that I trusted. I ordered three ducklings, and they were delivered less than a day after they hatched. I got a call from the post office telling me that my ducks had arrived and the caller sounded kind of excited/surprised, assuming because they don't get live deliveries very often. I arrived at the post office an hour later to pick them up. I told the woman at the desk that I was there to pick up a LIVE delivery package and I gave her my name and ID. It took her about 5 minutes to find the package. When she came back up to the front, she set the box down and the box was demolished. it was caved in, soaked, torn in some places and clear packaging tape was wrapped all around it. I only heard one duckling peeping in the box and pulled the box towards me and asked for scissors so I could see if all the ducklings were alive. The woman pulled the box away from me and said I couldnt open it until she scanned it in which seemed to take forever. I decided to just pull back one of the tears in the box and one duckling flew at me, seemingly panicked. The box was quiet, I handed the duckling to my boyfriend and took the box and a pair of scissors an cut the tape and opened the box. the cup that the gro-gel was in was crushed and cracked and the bedding was soaked. I have contacted the Postal Inspections Services, the hatchery I ordered them from, my local Animal Humane location and The Humane Society, but all I've gotten was the post office calling me to say that they are sorry, it wasn't their fault and that they don't know who touched the box.

 

[Kipmama]

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

I'm sorry that happened! I would defiently blame the postal service. They have gotten sloppy and irresponsible. We will get other peoples mail, and they'll get ours. We'll loose packages and have gotten damaged stuff; and even envelopes that look like it's been opened. If there's anyone to blame, it's the postal service workers.

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

Welcome to BYC by the way.

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

There are some serious creeps out there that probably would've thrown the box around and crushed it themselves merely because it was marked 'fragile'/'handle with care'. And probably thought it was funny. People make me sick. They'll do the dumbest or evilest things just to get a kick out of it. Someone could've had pleasure in crushing a box with poor little baby ducks in it probably just to hear them holler, you don't know. One reason mailing live animals needs to stop because you don't know what irresponisble jerk would mishandle it on the way.

 

[Kipmama]

There are some serious creeps out there that probably would've thrown the box around and crushed it themselves merely because it was marked 'fragile'/'handle with care'. And probably thought it was funny. People make me sick. They'll do the dumbest or evilest things just to get a kick out of it. Someone could've had pleasure in crushing a box with poor little baby ducks in it probably just to hear them holler, you don't know. One reason mailing live animals needs to stop because you don't know what irresponisble jerk would mishandle it on the way.

I know. I asked the hatchery if pickup was an option because I was worried something like this would happen. I don't know what I should do next. Should I contact police or a news outlet?

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

I highly doubt the police or news outlet would be of any good. The whole entire postal service needs griping at. Do you know what postal outlets your package stopped at during it's way to you? I'd call each one and complain about it. But I can easily picture them apologizing, but claiming they don't know what happened.

 

[RhodeIslandRed5]

So you mean there was only one baby duck in the box? So sad! Did you contact the hatchery to make sure three ducks were actually placed in the box? Somehow I'd get proof of your purchase of three ducks. Keep the crushed in box as evidence. Then gripe up and down as much as possible to each mailing facility your package stopped at. Make sure they get photos of your box and proof of purchase of the three ducks to help show that two are missing. The postal service does, and NEEDS TO pay for your loss.