Champion duck reportedly stolen from Geauga Fair

BURTON, Ohio – Katy LaFavre’s duck has stirred up quite a bit of news in Geauga County in the past two weeks.

First it won grand champion at the county fair. Then it sold for $115 a pound at the fair’s junior livestock sale. Then it was sold two more times as buyers donated the duck back to raise money for the scholarship fund.

Now it’s back in the news again, and this time because it is reportedly missing.

Timeline. James and Gwen Mayer bought the duck the third time it went on the auction block and planned on using it for breeding purposes. Mayer said he has approximately 30 ducks on his farm in Garrettsville, Ohio.

Mayer said he went to the fairgrounds to pick up the duck Sept. 2 at approximately 6:30 p.m. The Mayers went to the barn where the duck was located and checked in with the person handling the livestock pick-up. They dropped off their cage near the duck.

The cage had paperwork attached saying that the buyer would be hauling the animal, Mayer said.

Mayer and his wife then walked around the fair before returning to pick up the duck at 9 p.m. Mayer said the cage was still there but the duck was gone.

He immediately notified the sheriff’s station located on the fairgrounds.

Reports. Although Mayer said he thinks the duck was stolen, John Hiscox, deputy with the county sheriff’s office, said it has not been determined whether the animal was stolen or if another buyer accidentally took the duck.

However, he said there was a report that a well-dressed man was observed allegedly taking the duck from its pen, putting it into a cardboard box and then leaving.

Hiscox said it is still an open investigation.

Anyone with information should call the sheriff’s office at 440-286-4031.