Homeless woman sleeping in tent over 'no dog' rule

June Edwards, pictured with Dottie the bulldog, said she was "scared and desperate"

A "scared and desperate" woman who has been living in a tent for a month said she has been left on the streets after refusing to give up her dog.

June Edwards, 61, of Huyton, Merseyside, said she has pleaded with Knowsley Council to find her a place to live, but has only been offered accommodation at a YMCA hostel - which does not allow dogs.

Ms Edwards was previously in private rented accommodation, but said she had to leave after a relationship breakdown.

Knowsley Council confirmed "alternative accommodation" had been offered in October which Ms Edwards declined due to her dog, and added: "Housing and other services remain open to her for support."

Ms Edwards said she believed on one occasion her two-year-old bulldog, named Dottie, had saved her life when she was attacked with a knife.

"If it wasn't for my dog, I would have got stabbed," she said.

'I'll never give her up'

"If my dog hadn't stood in front of me and growled and growled, well, I don't think I'd be here today.

"She's only a baby, and I didn't think she had it in her to be honest because she's so sweet, but she stepped up and saved my life that day, and she's kept me alive every day since."

Ms Edwards said she is classed as disabled because of a condition affecting her spine and is struggling to sleep in the cold.

She told the BBC she tried to attend a council office a few days earlier but was told she needed an appointment.

"The message I got was you're on our list to call, that was it," she said.

Pet rules

She said she was given a room in a hotel for about two months before being told she would be moved to the YMCA.

"One of the conditions was they wanted me to get rid of my dog and I thought, there's no way I could do that," she said.

"How can I ever give her up after what we've been through? It's just impossible, I could never do that and I never will."

Last month, the Renters' Rights Bill received Royal assent, in a move that strengthens the rights of animal owners.

Amongst other guarantees, including the abolition of no fault evictions, a landlord must now consider a request to have a pet and cannot "unreasonably" refuse.

In terms of temporary accommodation, most councils do not allow pets, but are advised to consider the importance of pets in any allocation decisions, particularly in exceptional circumstances.

Ms Edwards said: "Even now, when I'm sleeping in a tent in the freezing cold, the thought of being without her makes me feel sick."

She added: "I'm scared and just desperate for a bit of help."