‼️ SAVE PIPS PADDOCK ‼️

Pips Paddock is a family owned private, safe dog field located in Midsomer Norton, Somerset. Pips Paddock opened in 2020, giving local dog owners and their dogs 1 acre of fenced land to be used as a safe haven, complete with shelter, table and chairs and a paddling pool, sandbox and agility equipment for our furry friends. We also offer advertising space  for local small businesses in our hut. 

Over the past year, Pips Paddock has provided much needed space for dogs that are elderly, blind, deaf, anxious, dogs that are learning recall, puppies and dog owners that are anxious or just appreciate the calm, quiet and safety of Pips Paddock. Hundreds of dogs and their owners have frequented Pips Paddock since it’s opened, and it has become a valuable and much loved community space. They stayed open during lockdown, and have accommodated dog training sessions, dog birthday parties and puppy family reunions! 

The owners of Pips Paddock, the Greenman family, are some of the kindest, most genuine people you will ever meet, and they are an integral part of the local community. Heartbreakingly, earlier this year they suffered the devastating loss of their son, yet they continued to keep Pips Paddock open. 

Unfortunately, some local residents were unhappy with having Pips Paddock in their area, and decided to launch a campaign of harassment and intimidation. The family and visiting dog owners have been shouted at, threatened and had loud gun  shot noises sounded at them which resulted in armed police being called - just for using Pips Paddock. One person took it upon themselves to superglue the locks on the entrance gate to Pips Paddock, and another created fake social media accounts to harass the family and directly message people who use the field, defaming Pips Paddock.

A few neighbours complained to the local council, and Pips Paddock were informed that planning permission was required to change the field from agricultural to commercial. The family did absolutely everything they were instructed to the letter, and submitted all the relevant documents for planning permission. The majority of the local community supported the application and provided comments to the planning committee. Unfortunately the local council took the comments from the neighbours who wanted to see Pips Paddock close as true. These comments included false information without evidence and people had even written comments from their pets, yet the council chose to take these at face value.

The council has now rejected the planning application, and refuse to give permission to keep Pips Paddock open. As members of the local community and frequent users of Pips Paddock, we feel that this decision is both incorrect and deeply unfair. We are launching this petition and campaign to fight the decision of the council, and to support the Greenman family in their appeal. The number of people who support Pips Paddock far outweighs the number of those who don’t. 

Please sign and share this petition and follow Pips Paddock Somerset on Instagram and Facebook to keep up to date with other actions as part of the campaign to #SavePipsPaddock!