Crackdown on roaming dogs June 11, 2009
SINGLE mum Clare Vendermark was odered to pay almost £800
after she failed to show up at Manchester magistrates court to answer
two charges of allowing her dog to roam free near her home address in
Penzance Street, Miles Platting in January.
The court
was told she had been sent warning letters by the council after
complaints were made in October and November that one of her dogs was
chasing people in the local area.
But despite the warnings she let one of the dogs out of the house without a lead on January 22 and again on January 30.
As
part of the evidence in the case magistrates were shown a series of
CCTV stills including one of a dog urinating on a plant in an
ornamental pot outside a terraced house.
Today the
35-year-old - who owns a Victorian Bulldog called Mental and an English
Bull Terrier called Simple - said she would not be paying the fine.
"I have more important things to worry about at the moment," she said.
"I
wouldn't mind if they caused damage or were nasty. They are not
vicious, they would have attacked you if they were, wouldn't they? They
don't do anyone any harm. I have two children aged five and 11. The
dogs play hide and seek with them.
"As you can see I
live right next to a piece of open land. If they make a mess on the
road or anywhere people might be walking I always clean it up.
Everywhere I go people pick on me," she added.
The prosecution case was brought by Manchester council.
Clare Vendermark with Simple
View gallery (total of 3 images) stupid woman