FOR the second time in two weeks a home 'inspector' acting for Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary at Edenfield has been slammed for turning down a good berth for a dog. But this time the 'inspector' was the sanctuary's chairwoman, Doctor of Psychology Muriel Byrd, who has hit back at the sanctuary's critics. Two weeks ago we reported that a widow in Bury had been refused a dog by another inspector, a long-standing committee member named 'Christine'.

This week Bleakholt's maintenance manager Geoff Lomax told us: "We were told there was a thirty-foot drop at the end of her garden."

But in fact the woman's 70-foot garden ends in a rockery - and open fields!

Now, Dr Alan Bernstein, from Prestwich, has been refused a dog - it's name is Ellie - because, he says, "of a lack of an enclosing back garden fence."

In a letter criticising the sanctuary's vetting system Mr Bernstein, a consultant physician at Hope Hospital, says: "I feel that those responsible for such decisions are paying blind adherence to out-dated regulations without looking at the quality of home and love potentially on offer to one of their animals.

"We have owned two dogs, both strays, the last of which was with us at our present home for 12 years until she died of natural causes.

f+i"This information seemed of little relevance to the lady vetting us.

"Erecting a suitable fence has proved impossible for a variety of reasons and we have, regretfully, had to waive our claim on this dog.

"I fail to understand their logic."

Currently, Bleakholt at any one time has around 160 dogs and 170 cats looking for good homes.

Said maintenance manager Geoff Lomax: "With it being a charity Bleakholt is run by a committee. Staff here will help prospective owners - who have to fill in a questionnaire - as much as possible.

"The committee looks first to the welfare of the animals - not the prospective owners."

Pointing out that Bleakholt's committee members make the rules and go out to vet homes, Mr Lomax continued: "They phone us with their decisions and we have to abide by that."

Defending herself and the Bleakholt committee Mrs Byrd said: "We are not concerned about whether a home is posh or not, but we are concerned about any dog's safety and security.

"This particular dog came from a home where the people had ten dogs and couldn't manage them. It was hyper-active, and it could have got out onto Hilton Lane, which is a main road.

"The Bernsteins were good people and I agreed they could have her providing they made their garden safe.

"I wasn't asking them to fence the whole lot, but there were gaps at either side where the animal could have got out.

"As I said, as a committee our main concern is for a dog's safety and security."

But at the end of the interview the Journal did pose one unanswered question for Bleakholt's committee to ponder over in the future.

We asked Mrs Byrd: "What do you do about placing dogs in homes which are open plan?"

"I haven't come across that, yet," she admitted. "I suppose we could place older dogs there."

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