They may not look alike, but that doesn’t mean anything to this oddly adorable new family.

Fred, the resident dog at Mountfitchet Castle in Essex, has taken nine orphaned ducklings under his paw.

Photo Credit: Mountfitchet Castle

The staff at the castle say that the ducklings were orphaned on Thursday after their mother disappeared. A staff member found them waddling around the castle grounds alone.

The team at the castle say they were initially very worried about the ducklings, but luckily Fred, a 10-year-old labrador, immediately took to them. He has been babysitting them ever since.

The castle is known for hosting an assortment of rescue animals. Some of their chickens were rescued from battery farms, the goats are either unwanted or outgrown pets, and the deer are either road accident victims or orphans.

Good boy Fred!