Forced to choose between two beloved dogs

A WATERSIDE man is on the verge of having to give one of his pet dogs away because of a clause in his Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) tenancy agreement.

Victor McLucas of Kinsale Park says he is "very distressed" at the thought of having to surrender his 7-month-old Dobermann bitch because he is not allowed to keep two dogs at his property. Mr McLucas already has a two-and-a-half year old German Shepherd at the house, but NIHE has said he is now in breach of his tenancy agreement and must get rid of one of the animals.

The Sentinel has seen a letter from NIHE stating that there had been complaints in the area over dog fouling in his yard - something which the tenant denies. NIHE has also denied a written request from Mr McLucas asking if he could retain both animals in the house.

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"I may now be forced to sell the younger dog now, I may not have a choice. I keep the yard clean and tidy. I'd do anything not to have to give up the wee dog, she is very affectionate.

"I think there may have also been complaints about the dog barking - but how can you stop a dog barking?", he said.

Mr McLucas says he suffers from various health problems and his pets are a source of comfort for him.

He said: "Making someone get rid of a perfectly good animal is cruel. My dogs are well cared for, they are fed twice a day and I give them cod liver oil and put eggs in their food for their coats.

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"I see dogs running regularly around the estate loose and dog dirt everywhere and nothing is done about it. I have a month now to sell the dog on. But, I don't want to sell the dog to someone I don't know well because I don't know if they are going to look after her well or not."

Mr McLucas also showed the Sentinel a letter from a local vet's attesting to the well kept state of the animals. The letter states: "This is to certify that 'Shadow', a female 7 month Dobermann and 'Tyson', a male 4-year-old German Shepherd Dog, were examined on 20th April, 2010 and deemed to be healthy and well.

"Both dogs were interacting well with each other and with the owner while in the clinic. 'Shadow' and 'Tyson' are both registered under Mr V McLucas of 3, Kinsale Park."

A spokeswoman for NIHE told the Sentinel: "We are currently investigating this case.

"While we acknowledge that Mr McLucas is an animal lover, the reality is that is that we also have to consider the concerns of other members of the community."