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10-12-02: Odd pair finds out love isnšt quite so ducky
By BETTY LAWRENCE
The Daily Standard
   
    This is the love story of Scooter and Justice, of Coldwater, whounknowingly are in danger of losing their soul mates.
    Scooter, a white male duck, and Justice, a female German Shepherd, love each other, says owner Sandy Ayars. The problem is, they live in town and not in the country, and the Coldwater Police Department says the family has ten days to get rid of the duck.
    "They got a complaint from someone on Thursday and I was told we have ten days to get rid of the duck. I plan to fight it," Ayers said.
    The odd couple is inseparable, she said.
    "I got the duck from TSC out on US 127 for my son, David, around a year ago. So, Justice, who is about a year old too, and Scooter, have been raised together," Ayars said.
    "Scooter grooms Justice's ears with his beak. It is the cutest thing you ever saw and the other day, Justice stuck her head in the bucket of water
and threw her head back, just like what Scooter does. And they kiss, beak to snout," she said.
    Coldwater Police Chief Gery Thobe said his department had received a complaint on Thursday that the duck was standing in the parking lot at LaGrande Pizza and was in the roadway.
    "She said she was afraid the duck was going to get hit," Thobe said.
    The matter can be solved easily, Thobe added.
    "Village Ordinance 1294.02 spells it out. It says you cannot keep chickens, fowl and/or rabbits on lots having less than one acre. That's pretty simple," Thobe said .
    When the Coldwater police officer told Ayers she had to get rid of Scooter, Ayers contacted the village hall and on Friday was mailed a copy of the villagešs codified Ordinance 618.01 that reads no person who is the owner or keeper of horses, mules, cattle, sheep, goats, swine, dogs, geese or other fowl or animals shall permit them to run at large upon any public way or upon unenclosed land. She also will receive a copy of a section of the Ohio Revised Code that states the same thing.
    Ayers says she plans to cage the duck, if forced to.
    "Maybe I will get a matching dog house and duck house and put them side by side," she said.
    However, even if Ayars cages the duck, she still would be in violation of the village's ordinance.
    "The duck has not been a major problem in the past, but we did get a complaint and putting the duck in a cage is not going to help because she does not have an acre lot," Thobe said.
    "This is the first duck matter we've dealt with. We're not duck-haters here. Personally, I don't have a problem with it, but some do and if it is creating a traffic hazard, it needs to be somewhere else. There's probably a farmer out there that would love that duck."
    If Ayars refuses to give the duck up after ten days,  she could be issued a citation and would be required to appear in municipal court in violation of the ordinance.    

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