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Is the dog needed as protection against junkies?
A WOMAN is in a stand-off with Sheffield housing officials over her Staffordshire Bull Terrier called Angel – which she keeps to protect her from junkies.
Isabel Brown, aged 37, is one of three tenants in the Keating tower block at Leverton Gardens, Sharrow, who have been ordered to get rid of their dogs by Sheffield Homes.
The company said keeping the pets is against the rules and it is launching a crackdown after receiving complaints about persistent barking from a Labrador Collie owned by Isabel's neighbour Darren Foster, who lives on the eighth floor.
But Isabel, who is unemployed, said: "We feel safer with our dogs because of junkies coming into the building. I am not going to get rid of her.
"Sheffield Homes is focusing on dogs, yet has done nothing to stop drug addicts constantly using the stairwells in the flats to inject and use as toilets.
"Although dog owners are said to be in breach of their tenancy agreements, Sheffield Homes has not kept its side of the agreement to keep the flats safe, secure and clean.
"When I bought her, a guy from Sheffield Homes came around and said it was alright as long as I cleaned up after her."
Darren, 37, who is disabled and gets around in a mobility scooter due to a msucle-wasting disease, said he has owned the dog, called Ben, for nine years and was not asked to get rid of it when he moved into the block four years ago.
He has temporarily moved the dog to a friend's house but said he misses the animal because it is his companion and he would like to be able to have him back.
And Jenna Chester, who lives on the fifth floor of the tower block, has also been told to get rid of her cross-breed dog, Zeena.
Isabel said: "It is not fair – people in other blocks have dogs and nothing is being done about them."
But Simon Young, area manager for Sheffield Homes, said: "We make it very clear to tenants that dogs are not allowed in this block when they sign up for a tenancy and when the property is advertised.
"We have received complaints, so we have written to the three tenants concerned asking them to find new homes for their animals.
"They need to be aware that they are breaching their tenancy conditions, the block is not suitable for dogs, and they need to be respectful of their neighbours."
He added: "We are working closely with customers, the police and our wardens to address any anti-social behaviour in this block and are about to improve the door security system.
"The flats are cleaned on a regular basis and standards are monitored not only by our staff but by trained tenant inspectors."
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
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Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
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