Mother with four dogs facing homelessness snubs temporary housing and looks to buy van after being told no pets allowed

A mother on the verge of becoming homeless after suffering a mental health breakdown and losing her job is looking to move into a van rather than apply for temporary accommodation after being told by the council she cannot bring her dogs.

Beth Brombley, 56, from Blaby in Leicestershire, who lives with her four rescue dogs – Pip Pop, Meg, Alfie and Mai Mai – lost her job as operations manager for a cleaning company after being diagnosed with PTSD in January this year.

Without an income, she cannot afford the £950 rent on her four-bedroom property and is on the verge of being evicted having already emptied her savings and accumulated around £3,000 in debt.

Beth was hoping to apply for emergency accommodation, but was told by Blaby District Council that pets are not allowed, so she would have to find them a new home.

But being separated from her pets, one of which has no eyes, could have devastating consequences for Beth who described them as a “lifeline”.

On several occasions when Beth’s mental health has suffered, she has turned to her dogs for comfort and added that taking them away would be a “death sentence”.

Faced with rising debt, Beth has come up with a solution – moving into a home on wheels such as a motorhome, caravan or van conversion.

She is now racing to raise £6,500 so she can afford one of the “as cheap as possible” models and get back on her feet.

“It would have been a death sentence for me,” Beth told PA Real Life.

“My dogs are my lifeline. I have two Jack Russell terriers, a Tibetan spaniel, and a spaniel cross.

“They’re just cuddle monsters. Alfie has the nickname Sir Bark-a-lot, Mai Mai is a cheeky monkey, Meg’s the boss and Pip Pop is my devoted baby.

“People don’t realise how important pets are in people’s lives.

“I would never have thought that I could end up in this situation.”

Beth moved to Blaby in Leicestershire from Sussex with her two children, who have since moved out, in 2018 to be closer to her mother Margaret.

When her mother died in 2022, Beth’s mental health took a turn for the worse.

In January, she was diagnosed with PTSD and lost her job as an operations manager.

Beth could no longer afford to pay the £950 a month rent on her four-bedroom semi-detached house and is now three months in arrears.

“I’ve emptied my savings account and paid what I could,” she said. “I really did try and pay as much as I could.”

Her only source of income is through Universal Credit which provides £360 a month.

Unable to cover the bills, Beth said she is on the verge of being evicted and becoming homeless.

She contacted her local council to apply for emergency accommodation but was told pets are not allowed.

This means Beth would have to find her beloved dogs a new home and they would most likely be separated.

“Temporary accommodation would mean that I lose my family and if it wasn’t for the dogs, I probably wouldn’t be here” said Beth.

“They’re a family who have all been through traumas themselves because they’re all rescues.

“I just can’t see them being separated.”

According to Blaby District Council, the decision on whether pets are accepted lies with its temporary accommodation providers including landlords, social housing providers and property owners.

However for Beth the thought of losing her beloved dogs is extremely distressing as they have been a constant source of comfort and support.

Speaking through tears, she said: “Apart from breaking my heart to see them go, it would be a death sentence.

“I can’t tell when I’m going to have a really bad day.

“One day I was sat there feeling really low and thinking this will never end.

“I was thinking about committing suicide and one of my dogs knew, because I just looked at her and realised I can’t do that.”

After months of fearing she could lose her dogs, Beth may have come up with a solution: swapping bricks and mortar for wheels.

“The only way forward I could think of was to find something where I didn’t have a landlord, like a motorhome or a caravan,” she said.

She is looking to purchase a converted van or motorhome for between £6,000 and £7,000, which, based on her calculations, will halve her outgoings.

“Obviously the more money you’ve got, the better you are going to get,” she added.

“I’ve been looking at as cheap as possible motorhomes that are on the road, in case I don’t find somewhere to park up.

“So I was looking at £6,000 or £7,000 vehicles rather than the nice ones which are like £20,000 and above.”

Beth believes moving out of the house and spending time in greener spaces could also help her mental health.

She also “desperately” wants to find another job where she helps people facing similar circumstances.

“I desperately want to, because I’ve worked all my life and it’s important to me,” she said.

“I had not realised how soul destroying it can be for someone (to go through this) and I would love to just go and help others.”

To help buy her new home on wheels, Beth has launched a fundraiser on GoFundMe for £6,500 which has received more than £1,000 in donations.

“I’ve never been used to asking for help, I really haven’t” she said.

“I want to get to a stage where eventually I can get my health better, go back to work and live a normal life again.

“I can’t say thank you enough to the people who have already donated.

“I’m surprised and shocked by the help that I have received so far.”

To support Beth visit: www.gofundme.com/f/home-needed-with-my-fur-family.

For mental health support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123, email them at jo@samaritans.org, or visit
samaritans.org.