Care home defends decision to evict pet dog saying it is 'out of control'

A care home at the centre of a furore over a pet dog has defended its decision to evict the dog, saying it is 'out of control'.

Over 133,000 people have signed a petition for Bob Harvey to keep his dog Darkie, after his care home told him his pet Schnauzer has to go.

Family friend, Tracey Streit, set up the petition as well as a crowdfunding campaign which has so far raised over £11,000.

Mr Harvey, aged 87, moved into Burnfoot Coach House care home in Lockerbie, four years ago, with his wife and their dog Darkie. His wife was terminally ill and died two years later.

Darkie has stayed at the care home with Mr Harvey all this time. However there has been a change of management at Burnfoot Coach House, resulting in Mr Harvey being told at the beginning of last December that he had to get rid of Darkie, due to a new no pets policy.

'Heartbroken, unable to eat or sleep'

Mr Harvey has been left “heartbroken, unable to eat or sleep”, according to Ms Streit.

She says that Darkie is the only thing left that keeps him going.

Mr Harvey, who has dialysis three times a week, looks after the dog himself. Darkie is also very popular with the other residents in the home, says Ms Streit.

Her fear is that “Bob will be forced to find a new home if he cannot keep his companion with him. We are raising money for Bob and Darkie to see out the rest of their days together in harmony as well as with dignity and respect.”

Bob was married to his wife Margaret for nearly 50 years and never had any children, so their dog became an integral part of their family unit.

Hazel Tweddle, who has a relative at the care home, said: “Bob is a lovely man and Darkie is a great wee dog, he always came to see us when we were visiting a relative, I hope Bob can keep him. I spoke to Bob at the care home last week, he was in tears, it’s heartbreaking.”

Darkie is a trip hazard

Burnfoot Coach House alleges that Darkie is a trip hazard and that there is no one to care for him while his owner is having dialysis.

Michael Best, managing director of Mead Medical Services Limited, which runs the home, said: “Mr Harvey’s dog has been the subject of concern for some time. When Mr and the late Mrs Harvey first came to Burnfoot we agreed to allow them to bring their dog with them, on the understanding the dog was to be kept at all times under control and it was not to be allowed to cause a nuisance and/or an annoyance to other residents and tenants, in accordance with the terms of the signed Tenancy Agreement.

“This I again explained to Mr. Harvey during a recent meeting in his flat-let at Burnfoot, drawing his attention to the fact the dog was left unsupervised for long periods and to a number of Health and Safety matters which had manifested themselves and increased over recent months."

These include running up to and barking at visitors in the grounds and within Burnfoot Hall and roaming unsupervised in the grounds.

Mead Medical Services Limited also claims that Darkie has caused distress to a family with small children by running up the corridor at speed whilst barking.

The dog has also fouled the grounds and the hallways within Burnfoot, which has had to be cleared up by staff.

There are also hygiene concerns over the dog licking off Mr Harvey's plate whilst seated in the dining room with other residents and tenants and vomiting on the floor.

Mr Best added: "I could go on but as you can see the dog has become out of control and is placing other people particularly those with limited mobility at increased risk.

“In view of this Mr Harvey needs to make alternative arrangements for accommodating his dog as it must leave Burnfoot. To help Mr Harvey come to terms with this difficult decision, we have organised a social worker and an advocate to represent his interests. They have held a number of meetings with Mr Harvey and I understand reached an agreement. However subsequently, Mr Harvey has reneged and changed his mind.”

The care provider also expressed concern over the care home manager being "inundated with phone calls, e-mails and Facebook messages, some of which have been disturbing as well as, personally threatening" after the petition was launched and media got involved.

"This has now been referred to the police, who are investigating the most sinister.”

"In closing I take no pleasure in upsetting Mr. Harvey but in this instant must place the safety and wellbeing of others first, including my staff," said Mr Best.

Ms Streit is hoping to raise £150,000 through a crowdfunding campaign, so Mr Harvey and his dog Darkie can move to another home which accepts pets, for the rest of their lives.

Elizabeth Ormerod, chairman of the Society for Companion Animal Studies, looks at the impact of having animals in care settings. She said: “Most care homes with a resident dog have a care plan for the dog. In Darkie's case that would include taking him outside for short periods during Bob's dialysis treatments. Community volunteers could also do this and Cinnamon Trust has offered support. I visited Bob and Darkie in the home. Darkie is a great dog, much loved by all. He is good natured and well behaved and interacts beautifully with the residents who are very fond of him.”

She believes the “quality of life of all in the home will be diminished should Darkie leave. The residents spoke to me very clearly, emphatically that they want Darkie to stay. Yet they have not even been consulted about this decision which will have a major impact on their lives. There are a plethora of proven benefits of having pets in care homes and major health bodies encourage animal presence, especially for older people”.

Campaign for clear pet policies

Blue Cross is currently carrying out a campaign calling on all care homes to have a clear pet policy in place, after it found that 40 per cent of UK care homes claim to be ‘pet friendly’ but, in practice, this often isn’t clear or consistent.

Two thirds of UK older pet owners said they would be ‘devastated’ if they had to give up their pet to go into care.

The Blue Cross believes that there are many benefits to older people having pets in their lives. As well as companionship, pets give older people a routine and a sense of purpose. Older pet owners are also more likely to take exercise to walk or play with their pets and pets also relieve stress and increase endorphins through stroking.

Diane James from the Blue Cross Pet Bereavement Support Service said: “Calls from older people forced to give up their pet because they are going into a care home are heartbreaking. Not only are pets an important companion in older people’s lives, they may also be the last link to a deceased spouse or happy memory. At an already difficult time for many older people, losing their pet can be seriously traumatic for them.”

The petition for Let Bob keep his dog is at https://www.change.org/p/let-bob-keep-his-dog-bob-87-lives-in-a-care-home-with-his-close-companion-darkie-and-help-us-raise-enough-funds-to-keep-them-together-https-crowdfunding-justgiving-com-savebobsdog?source_location=minibar