Moving

Thank you all so much for your support! I think I'll have some interesting stories to share as I search for new living arrangements. Since it will take some time to get our house ready to sell, I'm looking to either rent a place or possibly buy a very cheap property. Renting is nice because I'm not locked into a property that I then have to try and sell in a year or two. But it limits me on taking in foster animals during that time, and I've heard too many stories about renters being unexpectedly forced to move when the house they were renting was either foreclosed or sold. So at this point I'm leaving my options open, and checking out both rentals and purchases. Either way I need something very inexpensive since we still have to pay for our house, plus pay for the cost of fixing it up to sell. New carpet, repair drywall, new baseboards and trim, painting - it all adds up quickly! But I don't mind living in a small place as long as there is room for the dogs.

So one option I found was an apartment complex very close to my work that allows dogs and cats, and is extremely cheap for that area (a studio apt is around $500 a month). They even have a dog park on site. So I immediately e-mailed them to find out their breed and weight restrictions. Remember, this is the place that is advertising how pet friendly they are. When I got their response, I couldn't help but laugh. It said "You are more than welcome to have up to 2 pets in your home. To move-in a pet there is a non-refundable fee of $200 under 25 lbs., $400 over 25 lbs (THIS IS PER PET). Additional Pet info: To move in we require vet statements that show breed of dog, full maturity weight, and shots up to date and for cats that they are declawed and spayed or neutered. Ferrets are to be destinked. Our breed restrictions include: No Rottweilers, Dobermans, Chows, Pit Bulls, German Shepherds, Akitas, Alaskan Malamutes, Dalmatians, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Wolf Hybrids (Wolfdog), Mastiffs and Great Danes."

It was interesting to note that they listed Staffordshire Bull Terriers separately than "Pit Bulls", which as you now know are not really a breed at all! I immediately e-mailed them back and said my cat was not declawed and my foster dog is a pit bull mix, so thank you but it would not be a good fit. I also mentioned that while my pit bull mix is not aggressive, my previous foster dog was very aggressive, and I therefore I think they may want to add Pomeranian to their list of banned breeds. :-)

I must admit to you that the last two Pomeranians I fostered were not in the least aggressive - but I have heard of some pretty aggressive Pomeranians! Also my reply could have been worse - I was really tempted to reply with this:  

 

Dear Sir,

 

  Thank you for the information on your apartment complex.  My cat is not declawed, but since you don't have any weight restrictions I will just go ahead and bring both of my dogs instead.  I am relieved that they are not on the list of banned breeds, and look forward to introducing them around the apartment complex. I have enclosed pictures so you can meet them in advance. 

This is my 150 pound Newfoundland named Drool Monster. He does tend to slobber a lot, and fling the slobber around when he gets excited, or when he drinks, or when he plays.  But he's very friendly and really enjoys meeting new people.  I think you'll like him a lot.  You may just want to bring a change of clothes to work every day so whenever we stop by your office, you will be prepared for him.

And this is my Dogo Argentino.  His name is Killer.  I must admit I was a bit worried that he would be banned due to his breed, so I was relieved that only those truly vicious dogs like pit bulls and Dalmatians were on your list.  Killer would never hurt a fly.  Although he is a bit nervous around people who are scared of him because of his looks.  But since you are a pet-friendly facility, I'm sure we won't have any problems at all. 

Thank you, and I can't wait to move in!

Sincerely,

Your Pet-Friendly Future Tenant