A dog owner who claims he was told to give up his pet or face eviction from his home said "if they want my dog out, I will have to go too."
Ryan Janny, 28, said he was told by housing association, Plus Dane Housing, to hand over his one-year-old bulldog Tank to the RSPCA, as he was not allowed to keep the pet in his rented home in Kensington where he has lived for the past eight years.
But a Plus Dane Housing spokesman said the association was not asking for the dog to be removed from Mr Janny's home "at this stage" - but that the dog was suffering from a skin condition and they wanted him to seek treatment before it became a health hazard.
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Ryan said he has done nothing wrong as his tenancy agreement says domestic pets are permitted as long as they are well cared-for and his dog is being treated for its skin condition with antibiotics and special shampoo he got following a trip to the vets.
He said: "They are going to trample all over me and this time I'm going to stand my ground. They want my dog out andI will have to go too. I'm telling them if you want my dog to go, you'd best find me somewhere else to live too. I've done nothing wrong.
"Tank is happy, playful, joyful. He's a bit boisterous because he's still a puppy. He thinks everybody wants to stroke him so he will start jumping around, happy-go-lucky. I'm not giving him up. I'm not breaking the law. I'm not giving him up. If they want I'll let them take me to court and see what they have to say about it."
Chief operating officer at Plus Dane Housing Paul Knight said: "We have spoken with the customer several times recently and we are doing our best to support him with the situation. We are not asking for the dog to be removed from his home at this stage, however we have been made aware that the dog is in poor health which requires treatment and so we have urged him to seek the help the pet needs before it becomes a risk to his own health and any visitors. We have an appointment to visit the customer next week and hopefully we can resolve this for the benefit of all concerned."
Ryan, who has ADHD and moderate learning difficulties, said he relies on Tank to ease his anxiety.
He added: "I've been to the vets and the dog is fine and well. It has been treated. Two weeks ago I called the PDSA and they gave me a consultation over the phone and I went there for some medication. The medication didn't seem to be working, so I got my friend to send them a photo.
"They told me to come for some more medication and now the dog is well, it's clearing up. We all get sick. The housing association is barking up the wrong tree."
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