Twenty-two ducklings orphaned after a pit bull terrier savaged four adult ducks near the Botanical Gardens are in fine health after being rescued by Susan Simmons who took them home in a box.

And she has been touched by the support from strangers who have been coming up to her and giving her money to help feed the family of ducklings that now run around in her back garden.

The ducklings survived a horrific dog attack in the field opposite the Botanical Gardens on South Shore Road on May 4 when a pitbull that was not on a leash attacked and killed three adult ducks and 16 ducklings. A fourth adult duck also died of its injuries soon afterwards.

The dog had been let free by its owner and set about chasing and killing the fowl. Adults attending their children?s baseball team practice on the land at the time chased the dog away until it became trapped in swampy ground. They continued to keep it at bay in the muddy quagmire by throwing stones at it if it tried to get out.

But by then the damage was done and 19 ducks and ducklings had been killed. The surviving 22 ducklings had scattered in fright, trying to hide beneath bushes. With the arrival of a veterinary officer, dog warden and Police, the dog owner was quizzed.

One of those who arrived moments earlier was Mrs. Simmons. She quickly borrowed a vacuum cleaner box from friend Barbie Shanks and set about trying to round up the orphaned ducklings.

Children helped by crawling under the bushes and trees to capture the ducklings. The ducklings were then taken back to her Devonshire home and given space to roam in the family garden.

Remembering the events she said: ?The dog had been chased into the quagmire and if it tried to get out people were throwing rocks at it. Eventually the dog warden snared it and took it away.

?I did not get involved but I could see the little ducklings running into the bushes and knew that would be certain death for them.?

After the ducklings had been safely gathered in the box, Mrs. Simmons was incensed when she said she heard the dog owner explaining to Police that his dog liked to chase after the ducks and he did not see the problem because they did not belong to anyone.

She said: ?The message I want to get across is that it is not appropriate for a dog to be allowed to chase the ducks.?

The ducklings have re-adjusted to their new surroundings in the garden and kitchen of the Simmons? home and have doubled in size, having been fed duck pellets by Mrs. Simmons, her husband Joseph and their six children aged three to 11.

Mr. Simmons said the ducklings were old enough to mostly be able to look after themselves with a little help.

?We have a fenced backyard and in the day they can run around, then in the evening we have a wagon that we put them in and bring them inside,? he said.

?The children are having a wonderful time with the ducklings and we have a steady stream of visitors. When the ducklings first came they were all crying for their mothers and quacking a lot but they are lot quieter now.?

It is intended that the ducklings will eventually be released back into the wild at various places.

Mrs. Simmons added: ?People have been very kind. Strangers have come up to me when I?m in my van and given me money to buy food for the ducklings.?