In the gun for oodles of poodles

A heartbroken Beverley Downey says she'd rather move town than let the authorities take away any of the special furry friends in her life.
The Hastings woman was told she would have to part with some of her nine toy poodles because Hastings District Council's bylaws allowed for only two dogs per property in urban areas. She says she has been forced to put her home of 15 years on the market due to the pressure.
"I just can't bear the thought of losing any of them, I can't part with a single one, it would just break my heart," Ms Downey said. "I've got Jackson [one of her dogs] over there who's got cataracts. Who would want to take him?
"How could you part with this face," she said cuddling into one of her dogs when Hawke's Bay Today visited her.
 She has put her home on the market and plans to move to a rural property in Central Hawke's Bay, where she will be able to keep all the dogs.
Ms Downey has accumulated the canine collection after initially owning just a couple for competition showing. A few she bought as pups grew too large to meet competition specifications while another had a litter and so the numbers increased.
She said her two neighbours had never complained about the dogs which she claimed had prevented at least seven burglaries in recent times.
"One neighbour has even asked to put a hole in the fence so the dogs can go over to her property," Ms Downey said.
But someone complained to the council and a visit from animal control confirmed some dogs would have to go.
"I don't know who has complained about them, the council won't tell me," Ms Downey said. "I've been honest with the council, I told them how many dogs I had and I had them all registered which cost about $1500.
"I think the council should work this on a case-by-case evaluation. It's not like these are nine German shepherd dogs, these are small and live around the house."
Ms Downey and her partner, Robbie Armitage, said some of the pooches slept in their bedroom. "But they sleep in crates, not actually in the bed with us," Mr Armitage said.
He grinned when Ms Downey said the dogs were her "top nine" and he was her "number 10".
While the animal control bylaw allowed for two dogs per property, the council wrote to Ms Downey upon hearing news of her departure and said she could keep four poodles but the rest would have to go.
"But I bought this house 15 years ago because I thought it was going to be my place to retire," she said. "I'd rather move than lose any of them."