Don't Take Away This Veteran's Therapy Ducks! (E-action)

[Omaha Steve]

Take action here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/351/285/193/dont-make-veteran-give-up-his-therapy-ducks/?z00m=21349641&redirectID=1426125017


The town of West Lafayette, Ohio is trying to force a veteran named Darin Welker to give up the ducks he's raising -- even though the birds are helping him heal from the emotional and physical trauma of fighting in the Iraq War.

Sign the petition to let Darin keep his ducks!

Darin, who is 36, sustained a back injury during his time in service. The Department of Veteran Affairs agreed to pay for the surgery he needed in 2012, but refused to support physical or mental therapy, leaving Darin incredibly vulnerable. Doing chores to care for the ducks helps him physically, and watching them play is relaxing and helps him mentally. But because raising poultry is forbidden by a town ordinance, West Lafayette wants him to give up his animals.

Darin has been caring fo r these ducks since they were only a few days old. They think of him as family, and just like medication, he needs them in order to get better. He even has a letter from the DVA Mental Health Department recommending that he be allowed to keep the ducks.

In this case, West Lafayette must put compassion first. Tell the city not to force Darin to give up his ducks!

Kathleen

Thank you for taking action,

Kathleen J.
Care2 and ThePetitionSite

P.S. This petition was started by a Care2 member like you. Click here to start a petition about something that matters to you.


author: Chris Wolverton
target: West Lafayette, OH Officials
signatures: 47,413
47,41348,000
we've got 47,413 signatures, help us get to 48,000
overview
petition
Army veteran Darin Welker has been raising 14 ducks since March 2014 to give him a sense of purpose and to help him heal from the mental and physical trauma he still faces from fighting in Iraq in 2005. His town of West Lafayette, OH, is trying to force him to give up the ducks because of a 2010 law that prohibits keeping poultry.

Welker, 36, sustained a back injury during his time in service. The Department of Veteran Affairs agreed to pay for the surgery he needed in 2012, but refused to support physical or mental therapy. He started caring for the ducks when they were only a few days old after hearing that ducks made good therapy pets. Doing chores to care for the ducks helps him physically, and watching them play is relaxing and helps him mentally.

Welker has a letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Department recommending that he be allowed to keep the ducks. Last year, the City Council made an exception to allow a citizen in a wheelchair to keep a therapy pig, so Welker's situation is not without precedent. Please sign the petition to urge West Lafayette officials to let Welker keep his therapy ducks!

[shenmue]

1. Signed and shared