A lady living in Wolverhampton has been reunited with two of her dogs as she put her life back together from the tough times shes been in. She talks to us about her experience.
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00:00So we're here in Wolverhampton and a nice happy reunion story. What's your name madam?
00:05Karen Nicholls. Karen Nicholls. And who've we got with you Karen? Who are your babies?
00:09Diesel and Bailey. Diesel and Bailey. Very happy to be back with them mum.
00:16You've been through some tough times haven't you Karen? Which resulted in the dogs being
00:20taken from you for a longer time than you feel was necessary and you've had a bit of
00:27battle to get them back. Oh god yes. Just talk us through, you were living with your mum weren't you?
00:32No it was my house, my mum was living with me. Yeah that was over Bilston wasn't it? Yes it was.
00:38Yep and then you fell, you ended up losing that, you fell foul to the bedroom tax. Just give us a
00:44bit of a brief, what happened with your situation? That ultimately ended up with you sleeping in a
00:50tent didn't it? Yeah it did yeah. Basically it was just that my housing wouldn't rehouse me
00:57in a flat that I could afford, unless it was fret too low for my mum had got no legs and
01:02they'd rehouse me. Yeah. So obviously then my mental health went down and then it resulted in me being
01:10evicted from my house for the bedroom tax because I hadn't got the money to pay for it. Yeah.
01:16So you ended up in a tent on the driveway of the house you were previously inside.
01:22Yeah. You had the dogs there with you. Yes. The RSPCA were called, somebody had made a
01:27made a complaint but the RSPCA come and they were perfectly happy with them.
01:32Yes they was happy with the dogs, checked them over, they hadn't got no fleas,
01:37they was quite happy with the dogs. Yeah. Look at them there. He was snogging his face off.
01:44So you were given a temporary accommodation which is where we find you now.
01:49Yes. Yep. Classed as a refuge I guess, isn't it a temporary refuge, is that what we call it? Yes.
01:55Yeah. And you thought, well I've got my place now, I'll get my dogs back. Not quite as easy.
02:02No. So take us from there then, what happened? Well basically my support workers was ringing
02:10Hannah from P3 to find out like where, because I didn't even know where my dogs were. Yeah. Where
02:17they'd gone to. Yeah. Didn't even know where the father was. I asked for updates and pictures like
02:23while I was getting myself better. Yeah. Nothing. It went on for five weeks and then my partner
02:31rang me and says have you seen this and I went don't tell me. Yeah. I knew. Yeah. Sorry. Yeah
02:38you know it's alright. I know. Yeah. I just not found out. So what, what, what had he seen then?
02:44What had he alerted you to? Basically they said they found three puppies. Yeah. In Bilson Hall,
02:50because I didn't read the full advert because I couldn't look at it. Yeah. And where were they,
02:55where were they found at then Karen? They picked them up from my tent. Yeah. The day I moved in
03:00here. Yeah. So they, they'd got the three of them. Yeah. You said I want them back. Yes. And
03:08it's took, how many weeks have you been apart? It's been five, five, six weeks. Eight weeks.
03:14Eight weeks. I've been here since the 7th of November and I came back four days ago.
03:20And you just, you can't get your head around why it's took eight weeks, can you?
03:24You know that obviously, what, what do they mean to have you? You know, what does it mean,
03:30sorry, for you to have them with you? You've had eight weeks apart. Oh my God. As you can see.
03:35Yeah. Yeah. I was besotted myself. Yeah. And then when I found out that they re-armed them
03:40without my permission and it was only supposed to be temporary fostered. Yeah. I was just,
03:46felt like I was grieving. Yeah. So they'd gone off to another home had they? Like as in. They'd
03:52separated them all, they was all in different homes with police officers and a sergeant. Yeah.
03:56No way. So you've had to, you've had to battle to get them back. Oh God, yeah. Yeah. So I guess
04:02at one point you were thinking, am I going to get them back? Is this going to happen? Yeah. Yes.
04:08So you'd like to see, tell me what you'd like to see different in the system then.
04:13You know, for somebody else who was going through the same thing, how would you have liked to have
04:17been, for it to have been handled differently for you? Well for a start, they should have told the truth from the
04:22beginning. And second of all, they should never have put it in the paper because they didn't find
04:27three puppies. Because Diesel is three, Ocean's three and he's coming out in June. Yeah.
04:38So you do, you can't get your head round. I just can't. You were, you were, you know, you were there,
04:44you got your new place to live and I guess you were thinking, well I'll just get my dogs back
04:48and it'll be straightforward. Yeah. And they've come back and they've come back with, you know,
04:54they're gorgeous, they're lovely, but they've come back with little skin conditions and stuff,
04:59haven't they? Which is basically the food that I was feeding them on. It was basically cheap food
05:04from Alstom, which is five pounds a bag. When they picked up my dogs from me, they never even asked
05:11me what food I was feeding them on. And that's the first thing you should do, especially with
05:18these breeds, because they suffer with skin condition, my infections, um, ear infections,
05:24you've got to feed them on the right food. So you've got these two back, there's another one,
05:29but obviously, you know, you are in a temporary refuge and the other one's a bit more of an
05:33handful, isn't it? So you've been sensible, you've been sensible. That's my fault because I was
05:37mummied up and I spilt up. So you've been sensible and said, kind of, look, let me have the two for
05:43now. Let's just, you know, see how we go. Yeah. So would you, are you, what would you, what's your
05:49hopes for the future then? Are you hoping to, you know, get your, obviously a permanent address,
05:55isn't it really? That's the first thing. Everybody has, like, started listening. Yeah. And now the
06:00doors have finally started to open. Yeah. And this is only because of Amy Heritage. Yeah. My
06:06probation officer slash support worker. Yeah. The things that I got put on my proper meds from
06:14the doctors. I'm starting to look a lot better. Yeah. Feel healthier. I look healthier. And my
06:22next step is when I get my flats and it's all done. Yeah. Then it's my children. Yeah. Well,
06:29yeah, because you've got... Because I can't be like the way I was and then to have my children
06:36back because then I'm just going back to square one. I need to be the mummy that they had. Yeah.
06:44Instead of the ill mummy. Yeah. So that, yeah, there's, is it four, four kids? I've got six
06:50children. Six children. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And we're not talking fur babies. We, we, you know,
06:55this is your children, isn't it? Yeah. So it's fair to say you've had a lot up against you in life.
07:02Oh God, I have, yes. Yeah. You know, we, we, anyone with a dog loves a dog and a pet is part
07:07of the family. But when you've been through what you've been through, I guess even more so those
07:14dogs are so precious, aren't they? I've already been, I've already gone through enough and did my children over and lost my house, lost all my furniture in the house
07:20because I put it all on the drive and let people take it for free because I've got nowhere to put it.
07:24Yeah. Yeah. So now I've got to start from scratch again. This is what the system has done to me.
07:29Yeah. Councils, social services, then you could, then my aunt, do you know what I mean? And then
07:38the police, that was just like the final straw. Yeah. I just. So would you, it is the hope that
07:45you end up with all the kids and get the dog number three back as well? No, I'm handed over,
07:51I've re-armed her because, because she's gone to an officer and he's really looking after her. Yeah.
07:57And the children have got attached to her and the young children. Ah, okay. Yeah. So I said I don't
08:02want to uproot her and upset the children. Yeah. Yeah. So I said, I re-armed her over and re-armed her
08:09to a good family. Yeah. Yeah. That know what they're talking about because when they brought
08:18her yesterday for me to see her, they put her on the food. Yeah. What she was already on,
08:25which was Ava, which is vet approved. Yeah. So it's, Karen, it's fair to say you, you know,
08:32we've touched upon it a bit. You've had so much going on in your life really, which has included
08:38a number of abusive partners. Yes. And you've, you've looked for a, a way out and that's turned
08:44into drugs and drink and so on. So that's all started about four years ago, really started
08:51really going rock bottom. Yeah. And it was after my house fire, they stuck me back in the house
08:58after they done it, after my house fire, that's when it all started doing downhill. Yeah. Cause
09:02my mum was in the house at the time when the house was on fire. Yeah. Did she, did your mum
09:06survive the fire? Yeah. Yeah. But yeah. But the fire chief turned around and said, if my children
09:12had been in bed, they'd have all been dead. Yeah. How did the fire start then? Did they work it out?
09:16My little boy knocked the, uh, hob on. Yeah. It was electric and obviously I've got washing
09:22on the worktop there. Took 45 minutes for me house to go up. It's bad, isn't it? How quick,
09:29yeah. It's a lesson to all of us. So you've had, you've had four years of hell, haven't you really?
09:35Four years of hell. So you, you've really, what you've, you've, via your own input, you've turned
09:44your life around, haven't you now? I have. Yeah. Because I had Amy Heritage to thank for that.
09:50Yeah. Cause she opened all the doors for me. Yeah. And I said to her, I said, don't leave
09:54out my life. So every now and then she'll ring me and we'll have a chat and things like that.
10:00Stay as friends. Yeah. And that's my promotion office slash support worker.
10:05Well, I'm, I'm so glad you've got them dogs back. Yeah. I mean, that's just like another,
10:10another weight off my shoulders. Yeah. Yeah. They're back with you. I mean,
10:15I've just got two more things to battle for and that's my flat and my children.
10:19Yeah. Have you got any news on, um, on the flat at all or how long it'll be or anything like that?
10:25I'm still bidding on properties. Yeah. It's just taking time. Yeah. But that was another thing
10:31as well, when they said I was re-housed by Wolverhampton Homes. Yeah. I wasn't, I was there.
10:35Yeah. It's not good, is it? No, not good when you're lying. Well, we wish you all the best.
10:42I'm so glad to see you back with those little dogs, those little fur babies. I mean,
10:46look how content they are. Eh? Yeah. They're looking at you. Yeah. Strange environment and
10:54that, isn't it? He knew I was mummy, but he couldn't get his head round to, why aren't we
10:59going back to the tent or the house? Yeah. Why are we somewhere different? Yeah. So that's affected
11:04my dog's mental health. Yeah. You know, what, what the police have done as well. Yeah. Has he,
11:10have you seen him set? Well, have you seen him set? He looks pretty. Yeah. He's either there or
11:16he's on me, like, brought his leg up on my shoulder. What type of dogs are they? Is that a pug?
11:20Yeah. He's a pug and he's a French Bulldog. Oh, okay. Yeah, of course he is. Of course he is.
11:25Works hard for the money to buy these. Yeah. I can believe it. Well, we wish you all the best
11:32and I was so glad, so glad to see you kind of, you know, turning your life back around, Karen.
11:38And a lot of people have like, oh, Karen, you look so healthy and better. Yeah. And they'll
11:47miss me from where I lived on the estate. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? I go to see my mummy,
11:51Mary, and they're like, oh, go, go, go, go. Yeah. I spend most of the day talking to everybody,
11:56catching up. Yeah. Yeah. That's good. Well, we wish you all the best, Karen. Thank you. And
12:03hopefully one day we'll be doing another follow-up piece with, you know, with the
12:08bigger family extended reunited. Yes. So yeah, all the best to you, Karen. Thank you, love.
12:13You're welcome.