A 12-year-old autistic girl has made an emotional plea to council chiefs begging them not to evict her pets from her home following a two year battle with neighbours.
Chloe Armstrong, who suffers from severe anxiety, claims she would “end up in hospital” if the council were to take her beloved pets away from her.
In a heartbreaking letter to Dundee City Council, Chloe said she “loves her pets with all her heart”.
And mum Lorna said her daughter, who was diagnosed with autism last year, would be left devastated without them.
The 46-year-old and daughter Chloe moved to Dundee two years ago and now live with their six cats, one dog, and some tropical fish.
But the council has ordered the family get rid of most of the pets after receiving complaints from neighbours claiming there were 13 cats living at the house.
In a letter sent to Lorna, the council said that she is allowed to have one cat and one dog at the home.
She now has until October 1 to rehome the other cats otherwise the council said it will take legal action.
Lorna said: “I feel sick, they are saying I have 16 days basically to rehome five cats.”
She added: “We did have 14 cats at one point, but that was because one of the cats had just had kittens, but we rehomed most of the kittens, and Chloe kept one.
“We have been getting complaints about our cats and dog for two years. And now we have been told we are only allowed to have one cat and one dog in the house.”
But Lorna said that the pets are Chloe’s “only friends” and she was devasted when she heard the news.
She added: “Chloe doesn’t go out other than to school. She can interact and associate with animals but not with people.
“If someone asks Chloe something she won’t answer. I need to ask her and then she will tell me – she talks through me to people.
“I couldn’t even take her on a bus, she would just faint.
“That’s why she has been so upset and wrote the letter to the council so we will hopefully be able to keep our pets.”
Lorna said she has a 6ft fence in her garden which she plans to put up to ensure the pets stay in her garden and don’t stray, in the hope it will appease her neighbours.
A spokesperson for Dundee City Council said: “The council has a duty to balance the rights of all its tenants, which is reflected in the agreement that each signs before they take up a lease.”
In her letter, Chloe said: “When I go out on trampoline in back garden our neighbour […] will watch me, growl at me and she will also give dirty looks. It is very intimidating and scary.
“If you were to take any of my pets away I would end up in hospital seriously ill.
“So please don’t have me put into hospital because I would end up in hospital if you took my pets away.
“I really love my pets with all my heart. In my opinion it’s definitely harassment.
“Also I’ve nearly stepped in dog dirt several times and I know it’s definitely not my dog’s dirt because she’s too scared to go out back to the toilet, because of the neighbours, so we have to go and take the dog out the front.
“Also our six-month-old kitten Dreamer was hit in the face by something and seeing my cat covered in blood is very upsetting and this also resulted in dreamer having a head trauma.” (sic)
