U-turn after 'point-blank refusal': Mum-of-four will not be forced to rehome emotional support dog
Four-year-old Scar will be allowed to remain with his family - Credit: Supplied
A mum-of-four will be allowed to keep her emotional support dog despite being told to rehome it by a housing officer.
The 27-year-old, who wishes to remain anonymous, said her four-year-old bullmastiff dog named Scar is a huge comfort to her as she struggles with her mental health.
Last March, when the family moved into a private-sector leased (PSL) property, the mum claims she was not informed the property had a no dog policy.
Then, a year later, she was told by a Havering Council housing officer she would need to rehome Scar.
She said: “I never leave the house without him, which is why I refused point-blank to rehome him."
A spokesperson for Havering Council said: “We sympathise with [the woman's] situation and understand the importance of her assistance dog in helping stabilise her mental health.”
In an email exchange between the housing officer and the 27-year-old, the officer said she stuck a note on the door to avoid using the letterbox and risking Scar “chewing it up”.
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The 27-year-old said she believes the officer “took a disliking to her dog”, adding: “I think she was scared of him because he’s so big.
"She was rude, but none of my neighbours have a problem with him at all.”
A letter seen by this newspaper from a GP says the mum has a background with anxiety and depression and the dog has become “a protective factor and social support for her”.
The GP “advised against” rehoming Scar.
Havering Council’s spokesperson added: “This is a property leased from a private owner and not owned by the council, however we will work with the owner to ensure that, given the exceptional circumstances in this case, the dog will be allowed to stay.”
Scar's owner said, although she hasn’t yet been informed of this change of heart by the housing officer she usually deals with, she feels safer knowing the bullmastiff can stay.
She said: “I feel much better knowing he can stay, that’s one stress gone.
“It felt like I had to rehome one of my children and I don’t know what I'd do without him.”
