Court injunction bans tenant from keeping dogs
Housing officer in dog attack
A tenant has been banned from keeping a dog, after a community housing officer had part of her lip ripped away following an attack by a pet Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
The housing officer, who works for Bron Afon Community Housing, needed 30 stitches after the attack.
She was on a routine visit to the home of Nicola Hope, of Capel Newydd Avenue, Blaenavon, when the dog attacked her.
Ms Hope had a court injunction taken out against her by the housing association last week.
The injunction forbids her for keeping any dogs at her home for 12 months.
Duncan Forbes, chief executive of Bron Afon, said: ‘As the attack happened in the owner’s home the police could not take any action but that did not stop us from going to court.
‘The vast majority of dog owners are responsible but it is their responsibility to make sure their dog does not cause a danger to others.
‘In this case the owner has had to give away not only the dog who bit our member of staff but also two other dogs that she owned.
‘This demonstrates that we will take action to protect staff and other tenants where necessary.’
He added that the association wanted to remind dog owners to keep their dog under control if housing association staff were working in their home.
‘It would be really helpful if dogs are locked away when we are carrying out work.’
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Readers' comments (8)
Harry Lime | 13/08/2009 11:30 am
Only prevented from keeping a dog for 12 months??!! - Yeah, that'll teach her, way to go for protecting staff, woo!!
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kass | 13/08/2009 12:26 pm
"...Duncan Forbes, chief executive of Bron Afon, said: ‘As the attack happened in the owner’s home the police could not take any action but that did not stop us from going to court... " Did the HA know this tenant had dogs on the loose in her home? If they knew why did they not brief the housing officer to demand the dogs be locked or made harmless before she could enter the home? Why the housing officer accept to enter her home if she knew there were dogs there? Would have not been the correct procedure for this Chief Executive to protect his staff, to make sure the dogs had been made safe in some way, before allowing any work in the tenant's property?
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babs | 13/08/2009 2:56 pm
A ban for 12months for 30 stitches - No wonder registered providers struggle to fill housing officer positions on the basis of experience these days. Who is their right senses would do this long enough to acquire experience?
This demonstrates, yet again, what a poorly paid and thankless job it truly is.
.... and yet the chief exec claims that justice is served. Wake up and get real !
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Bill Kinderman | 13/08/2009 7:29 pm
I had a cross bred bull terrier set on me by the owner as I walked up the garden path to deliver court papers. It bit into my leg behind the knee, and I required hospital treatment . There was not much concern from my boss when I rang back to base-he was more concerned that i'd successfully served the papers (which I did). I'm really sorry that this is happening to Social Housing officers we (and postal workers?) seem to bear the brunt of dog attacks, and it places yet more emphasis on the need for effecive lone working policies and risk assessments. Problem is, however, you just never know what you are going into ? Some tenants are just plain dangerous , and highly irresponsible.
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Peter | 16/08/2009 10:23 am
Surely the tenant has breached her terms and conditions of her tenancy by keeping dangerous animals, having more than a single pet and assault on an landlord's employee? Isn't the tenant is responsible for all anti-social behaviour that takes place in her property? The HA should be seeking possession of the property and not this ridiculous injunction! The HA should also be reviewing its policies on the type of pets kept by tenants and its risk assessment on lone visits by Housing Officer or any staff.
As for the Housing Officer, it is very regrettable this has happened to you and I hope in time you will recover from this nasty episode and that your HA will provide the necessary support and counselling for your recovery.
Peter.
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kass | 17/08/2009 12:37 pm
Bill Kinderman | Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:29 GMT...
Why did you risk you life to deliver those papers? If I were you I would refused to do it until it was safe to do so... Housing Officers are dealing with a wide range of residents in all sorts psychological state, but they should know their patch or be briefed about any dangerous property and either given the proper safeguards or refuse visiting any dangerous property... I dod not know the case, the tenant my wll have been in breach of this or that aspect of the tenancy agreement, but when an incident like this happens, I would ask the following question, "knowing that some tenants might be dangerous, what safeguards was this officer given by her organisation to avoid being bitten by a dog?"
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| 18/08/2009 0:11 am
A "social" (sic) tenant had a Staffy? Wow. What a surprise. Don't see many of those around the average council estate...
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Cats | 25/01/2010 6:08 am
very lame working practise...... firstly a routine visit should come with a briefing of what they maybe walking into, secondly caution and time should be taken before entering and questions asked then if the housing officer feels something is not right routine visit or not back-up from police or senior bronafon officers should be called upon.. as for a 12 month banning what a joke the tenancy should be revoked in fact a lot more of these undesirables need to be moved out and put together in designated problem areas under supervision;
No excuses they can not live correctly this has been proved time and time again. And as for the Police themselves not being able to press charges this beggars belief, the attack took place inside a bronafon property therefore there should be a prosecution by the CPS on behalf of the landlord as well as the civil case that took place. There no excuses for these people who can not run their lives correctly, bad education, coming from a bad family background, just does not wash with me anymore. I`ts not the animals that need banning it`s the humans who keep them and who do not appreciate being given yes GIVEN a roof over their head.
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