The weighting game
Once again, I’m facing weight discrimination.
Not in regards to my own poundage – actually, I may have lost a few during my sabbatical in Montana -- but my trusty mutt Ace, 125 pounds when we arrived in Montana, is probably about 130 now.
It’s a good weight for him, and he’s still fit, but it makes things even more problematic as I Google, and Craigslist, and Apartment.com my way across the Internet in search of living quarters for us upon our return to Baltimore.
In doing so, these are the words that keep jumping out at me: “No dogs,”
And the somehow even more insulting ones: “No dogs over 50 pounds.”
I actually get angry when I see that second one. Some of the biggest dogs are also some of the gentlest and least destructive dogs, and it’s exactly that kind of gross generalization -- big dogs are trouble -- that this blog, since it’s inception, has sought to expose as the utter folly that it is.
Did I just say utter folly?
In that case, here’s an even utterer folly, and a more enraging one: Landlords that ban renters whose dogs are of a particular breed. Argggghhh!
For example, visit Peoplewithpets.com -- a web site that’s supposed to help one find dog-friendly housing, and you might encounter the following: You click on a complex near Whitemarsh that looks somewhat livable and affordable and purports to be dog-friendly -- only to be greeted with the news that having a dog will cost you an additional $150 deposit and an additional $30 a month rent.
Then, reading further, you find that the landlord bans “pit bulls, Rottweilers, chows, Dobermans, or any other known to be aggressive dog.”
That’s “breedism.” That’s “doggie profiling.” Landlords have a right to decide whether to accept pets and which kinds they might permit -- and there's nothing I can do about it, at least until my plan to create a DCLU (Dog Civil Liberties Union) gets off the ground.
Meanwhile, as Ace is part rottie, part chow, it looks like he won’t be living in Whitemarsh.
(Like he wanted to anyway.)
On apartments.com, they break dogs down into those under 25 pounds and those over 25 pounds, which it considers “large.” A 30-pound dog isn’t a large dog any more than a 500- square- foot apartment is a large apartment.
Of course, adding to my anger, is the fact that I can’t afford anything, especially given the budget I’ve placed myself under in hopes of finally ridding myself of credit card debt.
I’ve done some math (always dangerous) and the way I figure it, if I limit myself to $800 a month, and live in even utterer frugality than I now do, I could have my debt paid off in two years. It would only take six months to pay it off if I went homeless, and avoided not just rent but electric, cable and Internet bills.
Then there’s always the liveaboard fantasy, where Ace and I would pay a small fee to camp out in somebody’s docked boat. Having a few liveaboard friends, though, I know the reality is somewhat less romantic than the fantasy, especially in winter. Besides, Ace doesn’t like water more than knee-high.
I’ve considered touting myself as a house-sitter and Ace as a home protection system, but even though he’s a 130-pound Chow-Rottweiler, he’s not nearly fierce enough -- contrary to what those landlords in Whitemarsh might assume.
But then we all know what they say about those Whitemarshans.
Comments
A friend of mine just moved into an apartment with her 25 lb, 4 yr old cockapoo. The apartment complex not only required to see the dog in person, they wanted a letter from the vet saying she wouldn't gain anymore weight. My first reaction was that she's a 4 yr old small dog. I'm fairly certain she's done growing. My second was that if a dog overeats, it will gain weight, regardless of what a vet says.
Good luck in your search. I'll keep my eyes peeled. Have you thought about buying? In this market you could scoop up a townhouse with somewhat of a yard for not much more than $800 per month. Figure in the tax return and you're golden. A friend of mine just settled in the Patterson Park area for $164k. There's one across the street from me going for $200k, but it's been on the market for a long time and I'd be willing to bet they'd take significantly less. Ace and Bim could be neighbors!
Worse case, I have an extra room and Bim doesn't mind sharing his bed with other dogs. But it is near White Marsh lol.
Posted by: Carey | December 4, 2007 6:45 AM
There is nothing fair about owning a "dangerous" dog, from housing, to vindictive neighbors, to different standards of care at the vets, even. You ALWAYS get treated differently a a parent of a pit bull/rottie/chow/akita etc etc etc.
The best thing I can think of for housing is to go through private individuals renting out of a house, rather than apartment complexes. They usually do not have blanket bans on dogs by size and breed. Keep hope alive, Ace!!
Posted by: Emily | December 4, 2007 8:11 AM
My roommate and I had a lot of trouble trying to move someplace affordable with our pets - two large shepherd mixes.
Craigslist has been the best resource for us. Finding a private landlord and trying to negotiate with them may work. A coworker of mine has offered to pay greater rent than the asking price in the past and that's worked out well. It's hard to do on a budget, though.
Be sure to get a good letter from your vet saying what a great/responsible pet owner you are and how wonderful your dog is. Also, if you've done obedience classes, you could try having the trainer write up a letter about what your dog knows and how well behaved he is. Some landlords are swayed by this. You might offer, as we've done in the past, to have the apartment professionally cleaned when you eventually move out.
Posted by: Tara | December 8, 2007 9:39 AM