A 12-year-old boy with autism might have his best treatment taken away from him.
Dylan Dyke has two emotional support ducks, Bill and Nibbles, which he cares for in his home.
“I can tell them anything, and they just won’t be bothered by it,” Dylan told WSFA. “These ducks understand me so much. My siblings do as well, but these ducks just trust me more.”
But residents of Georgetown Township, Michigan have filed a complaint against Dyke’s parents, Mark and Jen. Neighbors complain the ducks stray onto their property and defecate.
“We have to smell and look at duck waste, hear quacking and look at a messy pen that includes a permanent baby pool and extra large baby gate. It looks terrible and is quite an eye sore,” one complainant wrote.
Michigan’s Georgetown Township told the Dykes they are violating the town zoning ordinance and homeowner’s association rules that prohibit residents from keeping exotic pets, and have ordered the family to get rid of the animals.
The Dykes have sought legal counsel and are appealing the decision because of how much the ducks mean to their son.
The family sought has support via Facebook where they posted about what was going on with a letter from the township.
“This is what mean people do,” the family wrote. “Try to take away one of the greatest joys a 12 year old autistic boy has, his ducks.”
Eric Dykstra, Dylan’s psychologist, said taking away his ducks would cause “significant emotional distress.”
“They provide the opportunity for him to calm down,” Dykstra told WOOD-TV. “They provide the opportunity for him to practice emotional regulation. For Dylan these ducks are extremely helpful.”
The Dykes requested a variance that allows the keeping of certain birds to expand to include ducks. The town the current ordinance allows, “the keeping and regulation of certain birds, and which currently permits the keeping of chickens but does not include ducks.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up with the goal of $4,600 to cover lawyer fees.
The family is also making t-shirts “Save Dylan’s Ducks” to show support for Dylan when local advocates for Dylan attend the hearing scheduled for Aug. 22.
“We live here. We want to get along with everybody as much as we can,” Mark Dyke told WOOD-TV. “But at the same time, we need to advocate for our special needs son.”
“These ducks are his everything,” Jen Dyke said. “They’re his whole life.”
