That look gave him away 🐾.
The photograph was taken in 1949 by Loomis Dean and, at first glance, appeared to show Trigger, a Chesapeake Bay retriever, after hunting a duck. But Donald was perfectly alive, and the story between the two of them went back much further.
Donald had arrived at the Olson family’s home in Yakima, Washington, as a duckling in 1947. He became so attached to the family dog that he began imitating it in everything, even chasing children and other dogs outside the yard. Over time, he became so troublesome that they decided to take him to a ranch about 19 kilometers away.
It was there that he met Trigger, and the two became inseparable. Whenever the rancher threw Donald into the pond so he could mingle with other ducks, Trigger would run into the water, pick him up very carefully, and carry him back to shore.
That was exactly what was happening when this photo was taken. Trigger hadn’t hunted Donald: he had simply returned to “rescue” his friend.
In the end, they had to return Donald to his original family, because even surrounded by other ducks, he didn’t seem willing to stop behaving like a dog.