The Council is absolutely right to crack down on the problem of dogs which are being kept in high-rise flats in contravention of tenancy agreements. It is alarming that so many people appear to have got away for so long with breaching the rules and keeping animals in what are clearly inappropriate conditions.

It actually says more about those dog owners' lack of awareness of the needs of their animals than many of them might like to think. Dogs need space to run around and a degree of freedom that they can't get if they have to be kept cooped up in tower blocks. Even if they do get regular exercise it is likely that given the degree of subterfuge necessary to keep the dogs' presence hidden from neighbours and the authorities, it is not likely to be as much as is needed.

If it is bad for the dogs, it is extremely anti-social as far as other residents are concerned. Not only is there the noise nuisance which a dog can create, but there is also the potential health problem which can arise if - as has been reported in some cases - dogs are allowed to foul in lifts and stairwells.

We do not wish harm on any dog, but their owners are at fault for thinking they could get away with keeping them against the rules and should be prepared to give them up. The Council, meanwhile, needs to tighten up its vetting procedure to cut the risk of the rules being flouted in the first place.

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