A NEWLY engaged mother who is a full time carer for her disabled son claims she has been banned from taking her dog out into a communal open space.

Donna Horton, 51, from Abingdon, feels ‘victimised’ by Sovereign Housing Association after a member of staff said she could not let her eight-year-old collie cross Buster into the communal paved area of her bungalow.

She received a letter from the association saying dog mess had been found and ‘alternative walking arrangements’ needed to be made. But Ms Horton insists she always picks up the mess.

She said the situation, which began about two years ago, has brought her to tears many times. She has lived in the Mayotts Road bungalow for five years.

She said: “After complaints, I have been told I can’t take Buster outside any more. I used to put him out and then wash down the patio. But now I have to wait out with him.

“I’ve been really ill as well. I’m waiting for a new knee and I’ve been tested for cancer of the tongue. I suffer from depression. I just feel like I’m being victimised. No one else uses the garden.”

Ms Horton, who got engaged at Christmas to her partner Chris Cunniffe, originally had a three bedroom house with stairs, but her 31-year-old son Daniel suddenly suffered a medical condition which meant he needed a wheelchair.

She added: “Daniel kept falling down the stairs as his legs went numb so we said ‘put us in a bungalow’. I told them we have a dog and they said that’s no problem. Now I’m saying ‘just move me, please’.”

A spokesman from Sovereign Housing Association, based in Vineyard, Abingdon, said: “We are naturally disappointed to receive any complaints against our residents. However, we do have to take all complaints seriously.

“We’re happy for residents to keep pets in many of our homes and to exercise them in communal areas. But, as we have to balance the rights and health of all our residents, we do ask residents to ensure pets are supervised and to keep those shared areas clean.”