A few days ago, beloved SARA, our friendly black german shepherd literally bled to death after receiving over 100 STINGS from a swarm of honey bees kept at Rooksbury Mill Court in Andover, Hampshire. Having been stung last Tuesday afternoon, and after an unprecedented three day struggle, with a last resort blood plasma transfusion, she finally died on Friday morning. She was 15 months old. The swarm came into the house with Sara. My wife was stung 16 times; my daughter (6) was at school. A neighbour in our residential area owns the bees. There are NO fences or other restrictions to stop a young inquisitive puppy, or indeed a child from entering this area where the hives are situated. We have a communal garden, and there are covenants in place to stop individuals removing existing fences and boundaries. None of these have been heeded. Nests have been found outside of the hives (one was removed on Thursday at 10pm) suggesting massive over-population leading to excessive aggressive tendancies.

This petition to the local council is to have ALL the bees and hives removed and relocated to a more suitable environment. And also to ensure they are looked after by experts in the beekeeping field. Immediate removal will also ensure no future fatalities, as the hives are not only adjacent to my garden, but also within 8 metres of the path in the nature reserve Rooksbury Mill Park which is extremely popular with local dog walkers and families alike.

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