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

[cmshap]

I live in an apartment building that allows cats, and has a monthly fee attached to rent if you have any cats. Dogs are specifically prohibited.

This building has maybe 40-50 units, and I see dogs all the time. The landlord sends out reminder emails/texts about 1-3 times a year with something like "Reminder: dogs are prohibited in this building. It says so in your lease."

Normally this wouldn't be an issue for me, unless I had a neighbor with a constantly barking dog, or something (which I don't). I see people taking dogs out on leashes frequently, and as long as they've been responsible, I've looked the other way.

But I recently had a scare... my cat Willy is currently in chemotherapy for lymphoma. And he's doing well, but obviously not at 100% health. And he's a senior (about 11).

He's always been curious and constantly trying to sneak out into the apartment hallway. It's generally a safe hallway, as there are multiple doors between it and outside, so if he gets out in the hall briefly I usually don't worry about it.

However, just this morning, he managed to slip by me through my cracked apartment door, just as a neighbor's dog had gotten loose and started running down the hallway towards us. Fortunately I was able to scoop Willy up and get back inside my apartment quickly.

I have no idea what this dog's intentions were. I've seen this particular dog before, and it was friendly towards me, so maybe it was just running up to me to socialize. But I can't take any chances with my cat, especially now.

For the record, I have always loved dogs, and grew up with them. But I am highly annoyed that it's yet another potential danger I have to worry about, especially now when an injury to my cat could potentially be even more dangerous than it normally would be.

What would you personally do in this situation? I don't want to name any tenants specifically, and am thinking of contacting my landlord and just saying "there are still multiple people with dogs in the building, and I saw one loose in the hall recently."

I realize that some of you might absolutely not hesitate to report specific neighbors, and you'd be in the right to do so; but I have a hard time doing that when they are all decent people who 99% of the time have their dogs controlled on leashes. This is one of the only affordable buildings in this area, and while that's no excuse, I have a hard time with the idea of causing anything that could force a person to be separated from their pet (yes, I know... THEY are causing this situation by having a dog where they are not allowed to, and it's not my fault... but I still struggle with this internally as I think about it).

But simultaneously, I'm also having a harder time tolerating this now that I saw one firsthand instance of a dog getting loose in the building, when we are only allowed to have cats. If Willy were to get injured even once, I'd be kicking myself for not reporting these tenants before.

I'm just curious about everyone's thoughts on this matter. Thanks.

 

[GenCat]

There is always a chance that the next dog won't be friendly to you either and that's a danger to everyone in the building, but I totally understand the conflicting feelings.

Personally never liked people breaking lease over pets due to the damage they do (even if you are a good pet parent and train not to scratch, etc it is a lot of damage) and liability to other tenants safety/health. If you decide you can afford to care for a dog properly (food, flea medication, vet, etc) then part of that is finding a place that is safe for everyone involved, in my personal opinion.

 

[MonaLyssa33]

There is the chance that they legally can have the dog because they registered it as an emotional support animal.

 

[cmshap]

There is the chance that they legally can have the dog because they registered it as an emotional support animal.

Actually I failed to mention this because it is a specific reason why I am so on the fence about reporting neighbors.

One neighbor who lived 4-5 doors down the hall from me had a dog (she has since moved out) that was a registered support animal. She took the time to explain it to me one day. She is diabetic and her dog was trained to sense dangerous blood-sugar levels and detect medical emergencies.

She was never a problem, always had her dog on a leash 100% of the time, and her dog was always extremely well behaved.

I'm certain that's an exception, not a rule. Probably, every other current dog owner is just having an illegal pet because they want to.

But the fact that I met an actual person with a support dog is another factor as to why I think twice about just reporting everyone. Of course, if anybody else has a support dog, they should have it properly registered, so any way you look at it, there is probably irresponsibility involved with most of these neighbors.

 

[GenCat]

There is the chance that they legally can have the dog because they registered it as an emotional support animal.

"However, an ESA must be able to be manageable in public and does not create a nuisance" if it gets out without a leash then that is still an issue.

She was never a problem, always had her dog on a leash 100% of the time, and her dog was always extremely well behaved.

Most likely because she knows the rules and is afraid to lose the dog.

The landlord is the one responsible for verifying, if you are concerned print out the ESA rules for landlords and send it to him as well saying you know that ESA are allowed but wanted to make sure that they were conducting themselves properly by making sure they are on a leash in public.

Edit: also adding if her dog was trained it was an actual service animal vs an ESA which would explain it's good behavior. Just adding this so people know that ESA are a great resource for people with physical or mental disabilites, but if you interact with one don't expect it to be as well behaved as a service animal.

 

[vansX2]

In my 4 Unit Condo Association the limit is 1 small Dog or Cat. Since I'm President of the Association I let the rules slide. As I have 2 indoor cats as well as a neighbor east of me. One of the other two neighbors has a new Rat Terrior dog. I don't see that there will be any issue as the dogs owner is very responsible. This dog will be only outside if leashed.

 

[cmshap]

One of the other two neighbors has a new Rat Terrior dog. I don't see that there will be any issue as the dogs owner is very responsible. This dog will be only outside if leashed.

Well, this was basically my philosophy, over living here for years (I've been in this building for 8 years), until today.

Seeing a dog loose in the hallway was a first-time experience. And this dog happened to be running towards me and my cat in the hallway. I resolved it quickly and there was no problem, but I've been very worried about "what ifs" ever since. As I said, my cat is in treatment for cancer, he's a senior, and an injury could be very, very bad.

I am normally not a rule-follower, but I do try to have respect for others and hope they do the same for me. Dodging the rules and having dogs in my building is fine, but if you let them get off-leash in the hallways? I feel like a line has been crossed.

And I acknowledge that even a very responsible person can have a slip-up once in a while. I had a slip-up with Willy getting out into the hallway when I didn't want him to. I can control that 99% of the time, but this morning he slithered past me and through my cracked front door.

This neighbor's dog could have done the same, when my neighbor controls their dog 99% of the time.

It is just that 1% that worries me. All it takes is one bad interaction.

The difference is that if I slip up and let Willy into the hallway, he is not supposed to EVER encounter any dogs. If a neighbor slips up and lets their dog into the hallway, that dog should not have been in the building at all in the first place.

After talking through this issue, I think I am going to contact my landlord company, and say that I have been seeing numerous dogs living in the building, continuously over the 8 years I've been here, despite the fact that nobody is supposed to have them here. And I did see one dog loose in one of the hallways of the building recently. I will not name anybody specifically or even mention which floor I saw a loose dog on (although they will be able to assume it happened on the floor where I live, if they put 2 and 2 together). I think that's the extent to which I will go, and then leave it up to them.

 

[Mia6]

am thinking of contacting my landlord and just saying "there are still multiple people with dogs in the building, and I saw one loose in the hall recently."

i would do that

 

[denice]

I think the landlord is fighting a losing battle here. There used to be rental properties here that didn't allow pets or were cats only and the same thing happened to them. I think they have all given up and now charge a pet deposit along with the extra monthly fee for each pet. A two-pet limit is normal and some have a weight limit. Some have breed restrictions which I don't like but that is another story. I think the thing with emotional support animals was part of changing it. A service dog is different and people are used to them being allowed everywhere, they are also very obvious with the vests. There also aren't that many service dogs. Emotional support animals are different and that designation is very easy to get. It then turns into well if they can have a pet then so can I. It has turned into a losing battle.

 

[goingpostal]

Seems pretty hypocritical to be upset about a dog getting loose when your cat was also loose? Nothing happened, everything is fine, move on and be more careful and hopefully your neighbor will as well.

 

[vansX2]

Well, this was basically my philosophy, over living here for years (I've been in this building for 8 years), until today.

Seeing a dog loose in the hallway was a first-time experience. And this dog happened to be running towards me and my cat in the hallway. I resolved it quickly and there was no problem, but I've been very worried about "what ifs" ever since. As I said, my cat is in treatment for cancer, he's a senior, and an injury could be very, very bad.

I am normally not a rule-follower, but I do try to have respect for others and hope they do the same for me. Dodging the rules and having dogs in my building is fine, but if you let them get off-leash in the hallways? I feel like a line has been crossed.

And I acknowledge that even a very responsible person can have a slip-up once in a while. I had a slip-up with Willy getting out into the hallway when I didn't want him to. I can control that 99% of the time, but this morning he slithered past me and through my cracked front door.

This neighbor's dog could have done the same, when my neighbor controls their dog 99% of the time.

It is just that 1% that worries me. All it takes is one bad interaction.

The difference is that if I slip up and let Willy into the hallway, he is not supposed to EVER encounter any dogs. If a neighbor slips up and lets their dog into the hallway, that dog should not have been in the building at all in the first place.

After talking through this issue, I think I am going to contact my landlord company, and say that I have been seeing numerous dogs living in the building, continuously over the 8 years I've been here, despite the fact that nobody is supposed to have them here. And I did see one dog loose in one of the hallways of the building recently. I will not name anybody specifically or even mention which floor I saw a loose dog on (although they will be able to assume it happened on the floor where I live, if they put 2 and 2 together). I think that's the extent to which I will go, and then leave it up to them.

The only issue I see that may come about by notifying the Landlord about the loose dog situation is that the Landlord may ban pets altogether .

 

[KittyFriday]

I can empathize. Off leash dogs are the bane of my existence; I actually really like dogs but after being harassed by other people's dogs constantly with the owners not having a care in the world, it's been really taxing. My dog is reactive, so it's been especially difficult with having random dogs run at us when we are out and about (and we stick to places with leash laws that are typically very lightly populated). It seems like the simplest thing in the world to leash your dog and keep them from infringing on others' space, but so many just won't.

Do you know your neighbors pretty well? They might be responsive if you talk to them and mention that it would be a good idea to leash their dog in the hall and in public areas since dogs aren't allowed in the building. Instead of approaching it as you being upset, if you approach it as you are concerned about them and their dog they might be more responsive.

But, if they just don't care or you don't know them that well, definitely contact the landlord. It's possible the dog is a service dog or ESA, but both are still subject to leash laws/general respect of common areas.

 

[cmshap]

Seems pretty hypocritical to be upset about a dog getting loose when your cat was also loose? Nothing happened, everything is fine, move on and be more careful and hopefully your neighbor will as well.

Hypocritical? I think I've demonstrated a fair amount of empathy towards the dog owners, and even wrote a post in which I acknowledged I understand slip-ups. And our apartment doors don't really provide any space for a pet gate, so it is bound to happen to any pet owner at some point, which I said I acknowledge.

The difference is I do not have an animal I am not allowed to have in the building.

Because of my empathy towards other pet owners who probably love their pets, I am not just going straight to the landlord and saying "the person in apartment #213 has a dog that was off-leash in the hallway and running towards me." I mean, off-leash dogs can injure humans, too... but I am giving them the benefit of the doubt here, and I don't feel comfortable with reporting individuals and possibly getting them evicted.

If my cat got loose, and someone who was happening to be walking down the hall with a rolling suitcase accidentally ran over my cat's tail at just that moment, my cat's injury would be on me for letting him get out into the hallway. But if he was attacked by an off-leash dog, that is a hazard that is not supposed to exist in the building.

Similarly, if my cat got loose and attacked another human, I'd be responsible.

I've been "moving on" for 8 years seeing many dogs in the building. I don't think I'm in the wrong for bringing up this issue, but I started this thread to get others' opinions so thank you for your feedback.

 

[game misconduct]

while its true theres a no dog allowed policy where you live. who was responsible for your cat getting out? personally i would just let the dogs be unless it began peeing around my front door

 

[cmshap]

while its true theres a no dog allowed policy where you live. who was responsible for your cat getting out? personally i would just let the dogs be unless it began peeing around my front door

As I've stated multiple times, I was responsible for the component of the situation in which my cat was in the hallway. As I've stated multiple times, that's why I didnt just go lodging complaints immediately.

 

[cmshap]

Before this thread gets much further, I am going to state that I've made my decision.

I was just walking home from a local grocery store, and on the edge of the sidewalk leading up to my building, there was dog poop kind of halfway on the sidewalk and halfway on the grass, not picked up, with no person or dog in sight, so someone had left it there.

That was it for me, I am just going to complain to the landlord that I've seen dogs constantly in the 8 years I've been here, including as of this week, and leave it at that. It's very, very likely that this will be 0% new information to the landlord company. They are pretty hand-off with most things here, they only fix stuff when they absolutely have to, etc. I'm sure they know and likely don't care.

I'm sorry if anyone doesn't like the fact that I am complaining, but I am just exercising my right as a tenant. If somebody had a problem with seeing my cat loose in the hallway on that one day, they'd be in the right to complain about me, too. But I have an animal that is allowed to be here, and I pay for that right every month.

 

[fionasmom]

I have owned dogs non stop since I was 5, lo' these many years, and have only not had one for the last couple of years. Most were GSDs or terriers and it is a complete mystery to me that dog owners cannot control and train their dog, and keep them on a leash unless they are on property where they can logically run free. Having said that, I would be cautious with Willy as it will only take one person who "thinks" their dog is friendly to cause a problem for him or injure him. Many friendly, but rambunctious dogs can also do harm just due to their size or energy level.

As denice has brought up, you may be between a rock and a hard place here, especially if people play the ESA card. Yes, there are truly legitimate ESA animals, but LA has had a big problem with that and many places have thrown up their hands. You could practically walk into the local mall with your ESA tiger and get away with it.

I would do what you are suggesting, which is to make a benign, blanket statement to the landlord. While this part is up to you, it might be a good idea to start here and see if anything happens before you refer to any specific dogs and are identified as the person who complained.

 

[IndyJones]

I have owned dogs non stop since I was 5, lo' these many years, and have only not had one for the last couple of years. Most were GSDs or terriers and it is a complete mystery to me that dog owners cannot control and train their dog, and keep them on a leash unless they are on property where they can logically run free. Having said that, I would be cautious with Willy as it will only take one person who "thinks" their dog is friendly to cause a problem for him or injure him. Many friendly, but rambunctious dogs can also do harm just due to their size or energy level.

As denice has brought up, you may be between a rock and a hard place here, especially if people play the ESA card. Yes, there are truly legitimate ESA animals, but LA has had a big problem with that and many places have thrown up their hands. You could practically walk into the local mall with your ESA tiger and get away with it.

I would do what you are suggesting, which is to make a benign, blanket statement to the landlord. While this part is up to you, it might be a good idea to start here and see if anything happens before you refer to any specific dogs and are identified as the person who complained.

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

I was at petvalu once and a clearly untrained dog came in wearing a vest. This dog jumpped on the counters, bugged the customers, pulled on the lead, and just acted out in genneral. Unfortunatly you can just buy the vests and badges on amazon and slap them on any old dog.

 

[denice]

Unfortunatly there are just as many illigitamate "service animals"

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.

 

[IndyJones]

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.

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. Had to just turn away because if I oppened my mouth I probably would have said -yelled- some things that can't be said on tv.

It just is crazy that people can get away with this and we can't do anything because of the ACA (ADA in the us) law.