A WOMAN has been allowed to keep her two dogs, above, in her council flat after pressure by Loving Dalston
Care worker Tiffany Simcoe had been told to get rid of one of her Stadffordshire bull terriers within weeks, despite the council organisation’s having allowed her over almost two years to keep more than the regulation-maximum one dog in her flat.
The shock message was given to her when the estate officer of the building she lives in emailed her after police had become worried for her safety after they made enquiries about a domestic dispute.
So as well as feeling vulnerable because of that, she faced the extra distress and potential cost of having to separate two pets that had become firm friends.
She accepts that Hackney had been tolerant of her having more than one dog but claimed she was not the only person on her estate to have two.
She also admits that some neighbours had become understandably annoyed when she let Max and Sadie off their leads in the estate but obviously, she says, that was easily resolved.
Simcoe started an online petition. Then this site started making enquiries.
Now she says: “I would like to say a heartfelt thank-you to Loving Dalston for taking up my case.
“I am overwhelmed with the support I have received and it has turned out to be a great victory.”
Hackney Homes says: “We understand that for many people dogs are part of their family. However, tenancy conditions are in place for the welfare of residents and the community as a whole.”
David Altheer 120515
* The picture shows Tiffany Simcoe with bull terriers, and a young friend in London Fields
* Loving Dalston judges stories on their merit. The above does not mean that every pet-lover in this fine borough should contact the site if they have a problem.
* Emboldened underscored words in most cases indicate a hyperlink, a reader service rare among websites. If a link does not work, it is probably because the site to which the URL refers has not been maintained. Most photographs can be visually enlarged by pressing on them.
I hope you sort it out, Tiffany.
I have acted as an advocate for similar cases, and sometimes, once public attention wanes, they serve a new notice.
I have written to the council organisation, as requested, for official confirmation that my two staffies can stay at the flat.
I still haven’t had a written response to confirm what I was told during a meeting with the estate officer of the building. Furthermore, there was no mention of changing my tenancy agreement to allow both dogs to be included in these exceptional circumstances.
With this being brought to light I will now ask the council to change my tenancy due to the changes that have been made.
Has a new tenancy agreement been made for this case? Otherwise, this scenario could be repeated. Can the owner update us as to what has been agreed, to help other cases?
That is fantastic news, Tiffany.
I am really happy for you and I hope they stick to their promise.