Why I chose my DOG OVER MY HOME

Gabby Kuehn refused to give in to neighbours who insisted she abandon her beloved pet

- TRACY GAYTON, FIONA FORD

I can still remember the moment I saw Vinnie, a gorgeous Maltese-Yorkshire terrier cross at a friend of a friend’s house. A tiny bundle of white fluff, with large, inviting, round brown eyes and a temperament so sweet and gentle. My husband Florian, 47, a banker, and I had never had a dog before, but in 2013 we took one look at Vinnie, then three months old, and couldn’t imagine a world without him.

A loving, playful and affectionate dog, he won everyone over he encountered, earning tender strokes from children and good-natured pats from adults during our walks. Vinnie was adored, so when we decided to move home a couple of years later, to a bigger property, we felt sure Vinnie would have no problem getting on with his new neighbours.

We found a home in east London; a large flat in a gated building , overlooking a big dog park that would give Vinnie the outdoor space he needed. It was in commutable distance for my job in recruitment, and Florian’s. It was also a block we knew well, having lived in it briefly several years earlier. Back then, there were a number of dogs in the development, but we wanted to be sure things hadn’t changed, so obtained written permission from the freeholder to keep a pet before proceeding with the purchase.

In 2015 we moved in, but the moment we walked up the front steps with Vinnie on his lead, the building’s porter stopped us, insisting pets were forbidden. Once we explained we had secured the relevant permissions, we forgot the incident and instead concentrated on settling into our lovely new home. But as time passed, our neighbours became increasingly frosty, choosing to ignore us whenever we nodded and smiled hello.