Exeter dog owner in 'pet cemetery' row

CONCERNS have been raised after a resident allegedly witnessed  a neighbour hire a digger and  bury a dog on recreational land  near her garden.

Sarah Bradley claims that  Lesley Phillips, of Bourn Rise, Pinhoe, buried the greyhound in a  small field backing on to  nine  houses in the street.

The plot of land, which was left  over when the houses were built   almost 30 years ago, was included  in residents’ deeds.

They are all responsible for  maintaining and caring for the   land, which they can use for  recreational purposes.

Miss Bradley, whose garden  backs onto the field, said she   shocked that a digger was used to  bury a dog at the picturesque   site.

Miss Bradley said she approached Ms Phillips when she   realised there was a digger in the  field and that a huge hole had   been dug not far from her back  gate.

She said Ms Phillips had told  her she had  permission from the  landowner and that it was within  her rights  to bury her dog at the  site.

Miss Bradley, 36, said: “She  seems to think it is acceptable to  go  and do that.

“She has her own garden that  she could have buried her dog in.   She seems to have buried her dog  in  the furthest point away from  where she lives. Environmentally, it’s not the right thing to  do,  and I’m a bit shocked. It’s not a  huge piece of land.

“There are 20 of us in the deeds  of the property and what if we  all  had animals and all chose to bury  them there?

“She didn’t ask  any of us if it  would be okay to do it.

 “I don’t know how far down she  has buried the dog.

 “I think it is  unreasonable — I  am concerned anything could dig  the dog up.”

In a letter to neighbours calling  for their support, Miss Bradley   said: “What if we all had animals  and buried them there? What did   the dog die from?

 “Are we now accepting that the  recreational  ground be used as a  pet cemetery?”

She said she felt the dog should  either be cremated or buried on   Ms Phillip’s own property.

Ms Phillips is a member of the  charity Greyhound Rescue West   of England, which helps rehabilitate and rehouse dogs who  have been abandoned once their  racing days are over. She owns  two greyhounds, including a replacement for the dog  that died.

 A spokesman for Exeter City  Council’s environmental health   team confirmed there was no law  preventing people from burying   pets on private land.

 Ms Phillips declined to comment when approached by the   Echo.