Exclusive: 42 dogs on death row after fraudster is evicted from kennelsDec 20 2009 Stephen Stewart, Sunday Mail
JAILED conwoman Janet Perrie has left dozens of dogs facing death after being evicted from her breeding kennels.
Perrie, who was jailed for 22 months for stealing more than £131,000 from the Tory Party, has run up more than £15,000 in arrears on her mortgage on the kennels in Bellshill, Lanarkshire.
The bank have now seized the premises and sheriff officers have given the kennel manager just a week to find homes for the dogs - aged from 19 weeks to 11 years old.
Perrie is due to be released from Cornton Vale next week.
Two of the dogs facing a death sentence once belonged to former Celtic ace Mark Viduka.
The football star is currently back home in Australia but yesterday vowed to try to save the dogs at the Orbiston Kennels, in Bellshill, Lanarkshire.
Viduka, 34, placed two of his dogs Tara and Solo in the kennels temporarily after his wife gave birth.
A friend of the Australian said: "Mark has been in Croatia and was totally unaware of the situation until the Sunday Mail got in touch. He is distraught and will finance getting them getting rehomed.
"As far as he was concerned, the dogs were being cared for in a good kennel. He wants to do everything he can to help. He is now going back to Australia but is desperate to keep on top of the situation."
Kennels manager Fiona Hope, 46, looked after the prize-winning dogs, which include Rottweilers, Dogue De Bordeaux and a German Shepherd.
She said: "These dogs are my life. They are really like my own babies. I can't believe we are meant to be a nation of dog-lovers and yet these dogs will have to be put down.
"It's a disgrace - I am glad that Janet wasn't here to see this. She would be in bits to see what is happening to these dogs. She is £15,000 in arrears on the mortgage and so now she's been evicted.
"I lived at the kennels so I have lost my home too.
"I have found temporary homes for some of the dogs but I am now carrying half of them around in my van with absolutely nowhere to go.
"Some of the dogs have been allowed to stay at the kennel for a week or so until they get rehomed but it's a nightmare that I can't find homes for them - even the SSPCA say they can't take them."
Sspca deputy chief superintendent Tom Gatherer said yesterday the dispute over Perrie's mortgage arrears had been going on for more than a year.
He said: "We advised the owner many months ago that it was her responsibility to seek new homes for all of her dogs and it is very disappointing that she has ignored this advice until the day of her eviction.
"We welcome the decision by the sheriff officers to allow the owner a further seven days to make the necessary arrangements to ensure the future welfare of her dogs.
"All of the dogs are in good bodily condition and as far as we are concerned there are no welfare issues for us to investigate."
Perrie was in charge of the expense accounts at Scottish Tory HQ when she committed her fraud.
No one checked whether she had a criminal record before she was hired so they were unaware that she had three previous convictions for fraud and embezzlement.
Sunday Email reporters@sundaymail.co.uk
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Today at 10:29 am by 
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now they might pay the altimate price with their lives 
