14 DAY TRIAL // Barrie Hayman's duck “Star” has helped raise thousands of dollars through door-to-door charity collection in Bideford, Great Britain. The duck classes up the collection by wearing a bow tie on each occasion.
Although stylish, the duck is considered irritating by local councilmen in Bideford. The representatives of the City Hall claim the people of Bideford consider the duck aggravating.
Barrie and his duck visit businesses in the North Devon area asking for help for the many charities they support. Just last month, they managed to collect $10,000 (€7,600) for a children's hospital, the Sun reports.
The owner of the philanthropist duck is now forced to apply for a special permit for every day he wants to take the duck out fund-raising. The problem is that it takes 28 days for the permit to be approved. This would only allow the man to perform his tasks once a month.
The man feels discouraged, and the entire Bideford community is in uproar.
“If a permit covered me for a year and I was able to visit a different town each day, that would be fine, but on this basis I don’t think I can carry on,” he told The Sun reporters.
North Devon District Council officials claim that door-to-door collection performed more than once a month is disturbing for the public.
“Our policy is to allow one charity collection per day per parish, so that the streets aren’t full of people collecting for charity, which is irritating to the public,” one spokesman stated.
For those that benefited from Star's efforts, however, the decision is outrageous.
“Barrie and Star are tremendous in their fund-raising efforts and in their wonderful support of the sick children,” Alana Marie Smith, director of the Children’s Hospice South West in Fremington, explained.
The community is backing up Barrie Hayman and “his lucky star.”
“We all feel very upset because it’s such an amazing charity. Everyone’s in uproar,” one resident said.