Neighbors are not supposed to have dogs, but they do. How would you respond?

[cmshap]

Unfortunatly there are just as many illigitamate "service animals" and "esa" as legitamate ones.

As an autistic person who never got a service dog due to the huge wait list it really bothers me to see this kind of thing.

I honestly had never heard of this being an issue, that people have illegitimate ones. That sucks for people who actually need them.

Anyway, my point was not that I ever had a problem with the specific dog that was loose in the hallway. He/she has come up to me before (while leashed with the owner) and was friendly.

My problem is more that it can be a possibility for such an encounter to go much worse in the future, if any tenant can get away with having any dog in the building. All it takes is one bad incident.

Do I want all dogs to be banned and removed? No, but I want the dog owners who choose to break the rules to be mostly invisible, as in, I don't want to hear their dogs barking, don't want to have to step around their dogs' poop outside, and don't want them to let their dogs loose in the hallway and make me question their intentions as they are running towards me. Whether I had a cat in my arms or not, I couldn't have known what the dog's intentions were.

That's basically where I am coming from when I say I have decided to make a blanket complaint, not about anyone in particular, but just that I don't appreciate the quantity of dogs in the building when it is supposed to be cat-only. And I hope the dog owners are paying the pet fee like I am paying.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

This passing off dogs as 'service dogs' is something that bothers me. There are strict requirements from breeding through training for service dogs, it is a long exacting process. There is a group in Columbus that does it. When I was on jury duty downtown I would see them working with their dogs in training. I hate seeing them sullied by dogs that an owner is pretending are service dogs.

There are no requirements for an ESA, they are like a prescription from a counselor.

ESAs are not protected under the ADA, so there are a lot of differences. ESAs are not legally allowed in public buildings (unless otherwise specified). We would run into people bringing their ESAs into the library I worked at and it would upset a lot of patrons. We weren't legally able to ask if it was a service animal, but we could legally ask, "what jobs does this animal do?" If they answered something like for emotional support, we could kick them out.

I completely support people getting an ESA for their home, but when they start bringing it to places that a regular animal can't go, that is when I get angry.

 

[FeralHearts]

Honestly - I'd leave it be. I'll preface this with the fact that I can completely understand your concern for your boy.

I'll tell you a couple of reasons why it might be a good idea to take a "live and let live" approach.

My city has a three cat household rule - with Mia - I had four. One cat over the line. What was I supposed to do when the three sisters came in all with ER's each about a month apart. Chuck my resident kitty out? Leave one of the girls to die? Tough spot to be in. So yes , I broke the rules. Rules sometimes must be broken.

My point: We/ you / us / the world / doesn't know the individual circumstances of why someone broke the rules, or maybe had to break them. Would they have to get rid of the pet as they can't afford to move? I don't know what the housing situation is like where you are - but here - I'm grateful to already have my house already. I couldn't afford to buy one right now - or even rent with the way things are. We have a shortage and the prices on both purchasing or even renting (if you can find one) is insane.

See my reasoning? Live and let live is sometimes the best way.

 

[denice]

As an autistic person who never got a service dog due to the huge wait list it really bothers me to see this kind of thing.

I got curious about the group here in Columbus so I looked them up. Welcome to Pilot Dogs They are just guide dogs for the legally blind. The whole process is almost two years for the dogs. The dogs spend 18 months in a home for socialization and to begin training. They then spend 5 months in training with a professional trainer then six weeks in residence with their new owner. Their waiting list is over 18 months long. The waiting list depends on the breed that people want. It is longer if someone specifically wants a standard poodle or German Shepherd and less for a Lab or Golden Retriever. I don't know that there are that many people who are that specific about the breed unless they have allergies. Poodles have the type of coat that is less likely to set off allergies.

 

[Mia6]

See my reasoning? Live and let live is sometimes the best way.

Your reasoning changed my mind

 

[cmshap]

My point: We/ you / us / the world / doesn't know the individual circumstances of why someone broke the rules, or maybe had to break them.

That's exactly the reason why I even questioned reporting anything to begin with. I came into this issue with such empathy already in mind. Believe me, I've thought all of it through.

However, I have seen, on average, 4-5 different tenants with their own individual dogs come and go from year to year, each year that I have lived here, for the past 8 years. They can't all be in dire circumstances where they have nowhere else to live with their dogs.

And that's really my problem... with the building management. Clearly, they are not enforcing their own policies when they should be. But they also don't fix things that they should be fixing, so I am not surprised, and I honestly expect no outcome from complaining.

But I did already send the management an email stating that I have been seeing dogs in the building for 8 years. That I've seen at least one loose in a hallway. And I've had to step over dog poop on several occasions since moving in here, including recently.

I'm never going to report an individual unless that person's dog becomes a serious problem (like nuisance barking, or frequently being loose in the hallway).

 

[denice]

And I've had to step over dog poop on several occasions since moving in here, including recently.

I think this is a pervasive issue. I don't understand why but it is. It isn't an enjoyable job just like scooping litter boxes isn't enjoyable but it is part of having a pet. Every time I see it in the complex it irritates me, I am like just take a bag and scoop out when you take your dog out and clean up after your dog. They even have canned stuff that freezes it to make it easier to deal with.

 

[GenCat]

This passing off dogs as 'service dogs' is something that bothers me. There are strict requirements from breeding through training for service dogs, it is a long exacting process. There is a group in Columbus that does it. When I was on jury duty downtown I would see them working with their dogs in training. I hate seeing them sullied by dogs that an owner is pretending are service dogs.

There are no requirements for an ESA, they are like a prescription from a counselor.

This frustrates me too considering my husband is allergic to fleas and I have literally seen multiple "service dogs" poop on the floor in my local Walmart. People exhaust me, but I digress.

 

[denice]

This frustrates me too considering my husband is allergic to fleas and I have literally seen multiple "service dogs" poop on the floor in my local Walmart. People exhaust me, but I digress.

People never cease to amaze me. Service dogs do not on any kind of routine basis have accidents indoors, they are too well trained. Of course, no matter how well trained there can be that very rare lapse, but it is very rare. People who depend on their service dogs take very good care of them; I think it would be very rare for a service dog to be infested with fleas.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Our church had 40 requests for housing assistance in just one month over the summer. FORTY! Affordable housing availability can be a real problem and having pets will limit things further. My parents house is currently being rented out by a family that was living in a small home that is on their church's grounds and partly used for church things. They thought getting to rent a large 4 bedroom house was a miracle. Now my parents are wanting to move back into their home when the lease is up; but struggling between the tender, empathetic hearted people they are knowing finding another home might be really difficult and what is legally their right to do. They were even looking to buy a more retirement size home back here and continue renting; but housing prices and options are just not good at all here right now.

Personally I wouldn't complain unless it was a repeat offender situation. From everything I hear; landlords are often between a rock and a hard place when it comes to enforcing things as it is. I also grew up with a cat in a no-cat apartment. (As did plenty of other neighbors.) I also don't feel like I have a right to complain when I am also somewhat at fault. The outdoor poop issue is more what I would focus on because it's repeated. Especially if it's not where someone just out walking their dog could have left it. If it had to have come from someone on that property, that's easier to complain about and have taken seriously.

Having had senior cats with health issues; I understand feeling more protective over them. But its not reasonable to expect others to worry about that. We had the house next to us condemned several years ago and one of the local fire departments came by because the family of the elderly owner wanted to have it burned down. They were talking with the immediate neighbors to see what they thought. I got the impression that they HAVE to even when they don't think it's a good idea to burn a particular home. (They said people think they can save money by donating a house for training purposes.) I said no because I didn't know how the smoke and pollution would affect us with our houses as close as they were. But Noodles having a heart murmur with heart failure and Mooch also being older at the time meant it was more of a concern and I couldn't just take her somewhere. Even our vet did house visits to avoid extra stress on her heart. Fortunately for us it wasn't just "Oh they have a senior cat so they said no" situation. It was EVERYONE'S heath and environmental effects. The place ended up being torn down and sending termites our way; so we still didn't avoid their problem affecting us.

 

[FeralHearts]

Your reasoning changed my mind

It's always a tough call. Especially when the frustration is justified but we just don't know so I always error on compassion.

That's exactly the reason why I even questioned reporting anything to begin with. I came into this issue with such empathy already in mind. Believe me, I've thought all of it through.

It's tough and I feel it. In my experience though it's always the one who broke the rules, has been good about things - and can least afford the issues that somehow ends up in the crossfire. Rarely the jerk that totally deserves it get sit. No idea why the laws of the universe end up working out that way all the time - but in my experience that's how it tends to go sadly and unfairly.

The poop in the hallways though - that - that I think I would make a statement on as it's a health hazard. If I saw who did it - it might end up smeared on their door and door knob... just sayin'... and yeah I know I'm bad... but that's disgraceful to say the least and I have no issue with the karma on that. Don't get caught and make sure it's the right person would be my only advice. ;-)

 

[cmshap]

It's tough and I feel it. In my experience though it's always the one who broke the rules, has been good about things - and can least afford the issues that somehow ends up in the crossfire. Rarely the jerk that totally deserves it get sit. No idea why the laws of the universe end up working out that way all the time - but in my experience that's how it tends to go sadly and unfairly.

i agree. That's part of my issue. Like, I know there are at least 4-5 tenants in my building with dogs at the moment. Most of the time, my only interactions with them are where the owners are out in the front, on the grass, respectfully taking their dogs on bathroom visits, with bag in-hand to clean up after them.

Undoubtedly, it always becomes a situation in which one a** ruins it for everyone else by not bothering to have respect for others.

The poop in the hallways though - that - that I think I would make a statement on as it's a health hazard. If I saw who did it - it might end up smeared on their door and door knob... just sayin'... and yeah I know I'm bad... but that's disgraceful to say the least and I have no issue with the karma on that.

If I made it sound like there was poop in the hallway of my building, indoors, that wasn't what I meant. I meant that there was poop on the sidewalk maybe 8-10 ft. from the front door to the building. And I almost stepped in it if I had just paid a little less attention.

That can't happen by accident. It was a full pile of poop, like a dog had to have squatted there to do it.

Of course it could have been from another random person walking their dog past my building, and just left it there... but it was close enough to the door, and that was not the first time I've seen poop in the front yard, between the public sidewalk and my building.

And for the record, the poop was still there 2 hours later, so it wasn't like someone just forgot to bring a baggie, then went back inside and came out later to clean it up.

I have a problem with this sort of neighborly disrespect. And I know it has to be one person, not all 4 other dog owners. But it's an unfortunate case of one person spoiling things for everyone else.

And I realize, "poor me, I had to step over poop!" can sound like a silly argument to make, but this whole issue with dogs in my building has been building up over the course of 8 years. This is nothing new.

 

[cmshap]

Our church had 40 requests for housing assistance in just one month over the summer. FORTY! Affordable housing availability can be a real problem and having pets will limit things further.

Of course. I can't personally afford to live anywhere else in my immediate area with a cat (or even by myself... I'm in a one-bedroom apartment with ample space that costs less than studio apartments in the same area).

I get that which is why I've ignored dogs in here for so long.

Personally I wouldn't complain unless it was a repeat offender situation.
[...]
I also don't feel like I have a right to complain when I am also somewhat at fault. The outdoor poop issue is more what I would focus on because it's repeated.

The poop was literally the last straw for me.

Having had senior cats with health issues; I understand feeling more protective over them. But its not reasonable to expect others to worry about that.

I don't expect anyone else to worry about my cat's health issues. I also don't expect to encounter dogs in the hallway, in the same way I don't expect to encounter someone driving a motorcycle in the hallway. If I were to negligently leave my door open, and then my cat escaped, and got run over by a motorcycle... sure I'd be at fault, but that is also an issue I'd expect never to have to encounter.

That is a deliberately ludicrous analogy, and I was being somewhat sarcastic on purpose, but that is kind of the idea of why I take issue with it even though I have, at times, negligently allowed my cat to slither through my cracked-open door.

If an aggressive dog actually did attack my cat in the hallway, whether I accidentally let him out or not, I'd still have zero hesitation to report the owner specifically, because then there would be two people at fault... I'd pay the price from my cat being injured, but the other person at fault should also be responsible for their part of the fault.

But it didn't happen that way so I have not mentioned anybody specifically. I did already report that I've been seeing dogs continuously, and have seen poop outside on numerous occasions, plus one dog loose in a hallway. And that I am paying a monthly fee as a cat owner, and don't expect others to have dogs when I am not allowed to have a dog.

That much, I feel justified in saying. For me to report a specific individual would take a lot more.

 

[FeralHearts]

i agree. That's part of my issue. Like, I know there are at least 4-5 tenants in my building with dogs at the moment. Most of the time, my only interactions with them are where the owners are out in the front, on the grass, respectfully taking their dogs on bathroom visits, with bag in-hand to clean up after them.

Undoubtedly, it always becomes a situation in which one a** ruins it for everyone else by not bothering to have respect for others.

That's why it's such a tough spot and I feel for you.

Yup always one jerk that ruins it for people just trying to get by and do the best they can. The universe has a seriously bad sense of things a lot.

If I made it sound like there was poop in the hallway of my building, indoors, that wasn't what I meant. I meant that there was poop on the sidewalk maybe 8-10 ft. from the front door to the building. And I almost stepped in it if I had just paid a little less attention.

That can't happen by accident. It was a full pile of poop, like a dog had to have squatted there to do it.

Of course it could have been from another random person walking their dog past my building, and just left it there... but it was close enough to the door, and that was not the first time I've seen poop in the front yard, between the public sidewalk and my building.

And for the record, the poop was still there 2 hours later, so it wasn't like someone just forgot to bring a baggie, then went back inside and came out later to clean it up.

I have a problem with this sort of neighborly disrespect. And I know it has to be one person, not all 4 other dog owners. But it's an unfortunate case of one person spoiling things for everyone else.

And I realize, "poor me, I had to step over poop!" can sound like a silly argument to make, but this whole issue with dogs in my building has been building up over the course of 8 years. This is nothing new.

That was probably me misreading/misinterpreting the door location. My focus is a bit off the past week.

I don't see it as a poor me - I see it as ongoing frustration that reached a boiling point for you. Especially with what you are dealing with. I think if things were different, you probably would have just carried on, but under the circumstances you are more sensitive to it... which.. is totally understandable. XO

 

[cmshap]

I don't see it as a poor me - I see it as ongoing frustration that reached a boiling point for you. Especially with what you are dealing with. I think if things were different, you probably would have just carried on, but under the circumstances you are more sensitive to it... which.. is totally understandable. XO

Yeah, I'm glad I came across clearly in this regard.

Let's just say that I was living in a no-cat building, but I had Willy here anyway. And I knew that there were several other cat owners in the building, also keeping cats while not allowed.

I would do everything possible not to alert the building management about my cat, or any other cats. I'd want what was best for all other cat owners as well as myself. So I'd make sure not to do anything to jeopardize that (like leaving cat poop on building property).

I've looked the other way regarding dogs for years, and it's clear that there's always someone who doesn't give a crap about other people in the building. I hate to punish everyone for this one person's inconsideration, but at the same time I don't want such inconsiderate individuals to be here doing whatever they want.

I've put up with a lot of other crap here, solely because this is an affordable apartment building, with nice apartments and ample space, in an area that has mostly unaffordable apartments with very little space. I've appreciated that, so like if something has needed fixing, I've been patient waiting longer than I otherwise would want to.

But these things build into frustration over time, as you've recognized. Just like the failure to fix my refrigerator led to increasing frustration over time.