A dog sanctuary is in the middle of a bitter fight between neighbours.
Karen Pohlman moved into Holm Hills 20 years ago with the hope of some “peace and quiet”.
Little did she know that years later, that peace would come to an end when Pet Pals, an organisation that looks after dogs, moved next door.
“I am a great animal lover and I have many dogs of my own, I really wish them (Pet Pals) well but I just really wish they could move because this noise is unbearable especially at night,” Pohlman said.
She said she and her husband’s sleep was often interrupted when the sanctuary’s canines start howling in the middle of the night.
“This is no way to live, my husband has to get a decent night’s rest because he has to travel to Butterworth at 6am to work everyday and the noise is loud and the dogs bark constantly.
“In the still of the night and if the wind blows in a certain direction the noise is just terrible.”
Pohlman, along with several neighbours in the area, drew up a petition to have the sanctuary moved – but to no avail.
After being given notice at the current premises in November 2015, founder Sue Kriel, said she would gladly move but their initial move was halted after Pohlman allegedly phoned the new neighbours and warned them about the noise being made by the dogs.
“When we first moved here, we had no complaints but in the last two-and-a-half years, Karen has been complaining about us being here. She doesn’t believe that we should be here and that all these animals should be put . We were about to move but then our plans were interrupted after she contacted the neighbours in Gonubie to warn them about us.
“It is only natural that the dogs get noisy when it’s feeding time or when they are being changed over from the kennels to the runs, it causes them to get excited because there is movement.”
Kriel added that their establishment aims to rescue and rehabilitate the animals for the public to adopt them and offer loving homes, but the unnecessary quarrel needed to stop.
“We would move tomorrow if we could because I don’t need these constant complaints against me and the work we are trying to do.
“But unfortunately she intervened in the matter and stopped us from moving out to Gonubie.”
Pet Pals was supposed to move to land off the N2 opposite the Gonubie Farmers Hall, but neighbours in the area objected to the potential noise factor.
The sanctuary which houses 89 cats and 110 dogs at their facility would now move to Marionvale Farm on Quarry Road in the Wilsonia-Eureka area, when the premises are ready.
“This is part of a vindictive plan to get us out of here and we can’t move anywhere unless the new premises are suitable for the animals to live there and until then unfortunately we are stuck here,” Kriel said. — oreillya@timesmedia.co.za
Dog sanctuary causes row
Karen Pohlman moved into Holm Hills 20 years ago with the hope of some “peace and quiet”.
Little did she know that years later, that peace would come to an end when Pet Pals, an organisation that looks after dogs, moved next door.
“I am a great animal lover and I have many dogs of my own, I really wish them (Pet Pals) well but I just really wish they could move because this noise is unbearable especially at night,” Pohlman said.
She said she and her husband’s sleep was often interrupted when the sanctuary’s canines start howling in the middle of the night.
“This is no way to live, my husband has to get a decent night’s rest because he has to travel to Butterworth at 6am to work everyday and the noise is loud and the dogs bark constantly.
“In the still of the night and if the wind blows in a certain direction the noise is just terrible.”
Pohlman, along with several neighbours in the area, drew up a petition to have the sanctuary moved – but to no avail.
After being given notice at the current premises in November 2015, founder Sue Kriel, said she would gladly move but their initial move was halted after Pohlman allegedly phoned the new neighbours and warned them about the noise being made by the dogs.
“When we first moved here, we had no complaints but in the last two-and-a-half years, Karen has been complaining about us being here. She doesn’t believe that we should be here and that all these animals should be put . We were about to move but then our plans were interrupted after she contacted the neighbours in Gonubie to warn them about us.
“It is only natural that the dogs get noisy when it’s feeding time or when they are being changed over from the kennels to the runs, it causes them to get excited because there is movement.”
Kriel added that their establishment aims to rescue and rehabilitate the animals for the public to adopt them and offer loving homes, but the unnecessary quarrel needed to stop.
“We would move tomorrow if we could because I don’t need these constant complaints against me and the work we are trying to do.
“But unfortunately she intervened in the matter and stopped us from moving out to Gonubie.”
Pet Pals was supposed to move to land off the N2 opposite the Gonubie Farmers Hall, but neighbours in the area objected to the potential noise factor.
The sanctuary which houses 89 cats and 110 dogs at their facility would now move to Marionvale Farm on Quarry Road in the Wilsonia-Eureka area, when the premises are ready.
“This is part of a vindictive plan to get us out of here and we can’t move anywhere unless the new premises are suitable for the animals to live there and until then unfortunately we are stuck here,” Kriel said. — oreillya@timesmedia.co.za
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