Rules say no dogs (From Stroud News and Journal)

Rules say no dogs

A STROUD dog has been hounded out of a promising career in showbiz after bureaucrats banned him from treading the boards.

After a promising performance Jack Russell Zach was set to star in Archway School's production of Oliver as Bill Sykes' dog patch.

"We auditioned him and he was a lovely little dog, who followed Bill Sykes around, just making an occasional whimpering sound which would have gone down very well with the dog lovers in the audience," said teacher and play director Rosamund Tyler.

But Zach's career was brought to an abrupt end when Ms Tyler discovered dogs were not allowed on school property.

"I had to write a rejection letter to Zach," she said.

"The only satisfaction I had from it was knowing that Zach could not read and would never understand he had been rejected."

The teacher said she would not be looking for ways to bend the rules and, although it was a shame for Zach, the incident would teach students a lesson about the law.

"The rules are the rules," she said.

Zach's owner Rae Middleton, grandmother of cast member Emma Hyde, said he was taking the news well.

She said: "He's not too bad but I think he's been missing the limelight."

* Oliver will be going ahead without canine star at Archway from April 1 to April 4.