Joy as ’noisy’ puppy daycare must close

IT has been a bitter-sweet week for Durbanville, Cape Town, pastor Mark Christopher.

While he has managed to put a stop to the puppy daycare activities of his neighbour, he also received a lot of “hate mail” from dog lovers.

Christopher earlier turned to the Western Cape High Court for an order that the owner of Puppy Town Jolindi Verster be ordered to close down her business.

While the court has now delivered its verdict and ordered Verster to close down, Christopher has received a lot of criticism from both dog lovers as well as people who questioned how he could put a single mother out of business.

At the time of launching his application, Christopher cited both Jolindi and her husband Pieter Verster as respondents. It now appears the couple are no longer together.

Speaking to the Pretoria News, Christopher said it was never about the puppy daycare.

“I actually applaud her for the initiative to run such a business. I think it is a great idea, but just not in a suburb.

“I have been asked several times why I just don’t sell and move. It isn’t that I haven’t thought about it more than once. But unlike the previous owner of our current home, I would have to be honest in the spirit of full disclosure and inform prospective buyers about Puppy Town.

“Who in their right mind would knowingly buy a property with up to 17 barking dogs just on the other side of the back wall?”

Verster denied in her opposing court papers that her business was a nuisance to the neighbours. She said there were some neighbours who supported her and who said the barking was not bad at all.

According to the papers, she in any event scaled down her business and does not have 17 dogs on her premises during the day.

In any event, she said, the fur babies were kept busy with toys and “chewies” and she has a helper who assists keep them in check.