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Pefferlaw woman forced to relocate ducks

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BARRIE, ONT. -

An early childhood educator in Pefferlaw, Ont., who has been hatching ducks as part of her class education, has been instructed to release them.

For the past four and half years, Kathy Crawford says she has let her flock of ducks out.

"They go straight to the river, swim all day, splash," said Crawford.

The seven Pekin ducks have grown up on the Pefferlaw River after several of them were hatched in Crawford's classroom.

Since then, Crawford says the flock has become quite the town spectacle.

"People will come on the bridge, and you see them taking pictures and oohing and aahing," said Crawford.

Recently, the ducks have come under fire from the town's bylaw department after a complaint from a neighbour. Crawford says she now has two weeks to find them new homes.

"I was taken aback because of all the people who enjoy them; they aren't noisy- they don't go anywhere other than the water," said Crawford.

In a statement to CTV News, a spokesperson for the Town of Georgina wrote in part that they have specific bylaws pertaining to keeping animals in residential areas, including ducks.

"We cannot directly discuss this case as it is an ongoing enforcement matter. However, the town of Georgina zoning bylaw prohibits the keeping or raising of animals in a residential area except as allowed by a specific municipal bylaw," the statement said.

CTV News spoke with the neighbour who did not want to appear on camera but said the complaint was made because of the mess the ducks make in their yard.

Crawford said she was unaware.

"They've been really pleasant for people in the community, and I know that just by the outpour of support that I have had just to be able to keep my ducks," said Crawford.

According to Crawford, she plans to fight the town's bylaw and submit a request to appear before the town council at the end of the month. Katelyn Wilson.

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