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ASPartOfMe
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25 Jul 2018, 3:14 am

Boy with autism fights to keep therapy ducks after neighbors complain

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A 12-year-old boy with autism and his parents say they’re prepared to go to court over the boy’s two therapy ducks after town leaders said they have to get rid of the animals.

Dylan Dyke, 12, loves ducks. His room is filled with rubber ducks, paper ducks, ducks on blankets and ducks on lamps. But it’s his two pet ducks, Nibbles and Bill, that mean the most to him.

The 12-year-old has autism, and he says the ducks help him cope.

"I can tell them anything, and they just won't be bothered by it,” Dylan said. "These ducks understand me so much. My siblings do as well, but these ducks just trust me more."

Dylan feeds the birds daily at 7 a.m. sharp, according to his mother, Jen Dyke. After school, he immediately runs to check on them.

However, Georgetown Township, MI, officials ordered the family to get rid of the animals after neighbors complained about the ducks’ “offensive and embarrassing” sight and smell that they say could affect their home values.

The neighbors also say the ducks often stray from the Dykes' property and defecate on others’ lawns.

Dylan’s psychologist Dr. Eric Dykstra wrote a letter designating the birds as emotional support animals, but it hasn’t swayed the officials’ decision.

Officials say they’re enforcing an ordinance that prohibits homeowners in the area from having farm animals on their property.

The Dyke family is appealing the decision, and Dylan’s parents say they’re prepared to take the fight to court because of how much the ducks mean to their son.

The psychologist says if the ducks are taken from Dylan, it would cause him “significant emotional distress.”


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traven
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25 Jul 2018, 6:33 am

That's where you must take account of the sort of neighborhood you're in,
some people are easily disturbed.

With all animals comes responsability to keep them well fenced in (& ducks make a big mess)
and occasionally clip the wing-tips to avoid flying over the fences


who says therapy-animal ?
spin a buzzword & emotionalize the common sense rules for living together



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25 Jul 2018, 7:25 am

Hard-hearted
NT neighbors.

Get used to it,
kid.



Magna
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25 Jul 2018, 7:53 am

I see both sides. I grew up around poultry including ducks, geese, guinea fowl, turkey and chickens. I have a hard time believing that two ducks smell. I have a problem with the idea that those ducks apparently roam onto other's property. Not ok, therapy duck or not.

The duck roaming aspect gives people with challenges a bad name in general. Similarly: "My child has [ ] so she can run on anyone's lawn including yours! And by the way, how dare you question us!"

Or

"My son has [ ] and it makes him feel better to stand in our driveway and bang a metal garbage can lid repeatedly and yell for fifteen minutes starting at 7 every morning. Get used to it!"

Bottom line I very much hope he gets to keep his ducks but I hope his family fences them in to respect the neighborhood.

And, poultry and fowl do poop anywhere and often.



Fnord
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25 Jul 2018, 8:40 am

I also see both sides.

On the one hand, keeping an autistic child calm and focused is very important.

On the other hand, keeping peace with the neighbors is also very important.

But on the gripping hand, using autism as justification to annoy the neighbors is just plain wrong.


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Magna
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25 Jul 2018, 9:04 am

Fnord wrote:
I also see both sides.

On the one hand, keeping an autistic child calm and focused is very important.

On the other hand, keeping peace with the neighbors is also very important.

But on the gripping hand, using autism as justification to annoy the neighbors is just plain wrong.



I concur.



ASPartOfMe
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25 Jul 2018, 12:14 pm

Of course, my sympathies lie with the autistic kid, but duck noises constantly would really bother me. Yeah, I could close the windows, turn the air conditioning up high to drown the sounds out but what if it is a beautiful day and I want to open the windows or sit outside and read a book.


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Wolfboy99
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25 Jul 2018, 12:43 pm

We have chickens. 13 of them. They are not comfort animals, but they might as well be. They help all of us to be relaxed and comfortable. They certainly are stress relievers.

We have an 8 x 8 foot coop and an 8 x 24 foot fenced in run. All hens since roosters are not allowed.

We do let the girls out when we are outside, but only in our yard.

Yes, they do leave a mess, but they are wonderful pets. We often pick them up to pet and cuddle them and two of them will climb up on our lap so we can pet them, all by themselves.

No way should these types of animals roam freely onto other peoples property.

I agree that people shouldn’t use autism or other excuses to be bad neighbors.


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Magna
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25 Jul 2018, 1:11 pm

I could see poultry and fowl as "therapy" animals. I mentioned I grew up encompassing raising most kinds of domesticated birds over time.

When I was very young (I don't even recall this but it's documented in pictures) one of our chickens was very slow mentally compared to the other chickens. The chicken allowed me to pick it up and carry it around. I apparently loved that chicken and named it "pigeon".

My Dad has some hens now at his house and they are the most docile and friendly I've seen in many years. They allow you to pet them and they want to follow people around wherever they go around the yard. They are very calming.