Archive for the 'Pets & People' Category
Faith Kilburn and Her 18 Dogs Lose Most Recent Battle With West Hartford
April 14th, 2009 categories: Central Connecticut News & Information, Pets & People
Faith Kilburn is the owner of 18 (formerly 22) shih tzu dogs and she lives in West Hartford, CT. The problem is West Hartford has an ordinance restricting the number of dogs in a residence to no more than two. More than two dogs? You need a special permit to have a kennel.
Ms. Kilburn applied to West Hartford to get a variance but was denied. West Hartford was prepared to begin fining Ms. Kilburn at $42/day until she either moved or got rid of the dogs. Clearly attached to her dogs and capable of caring for them, Ms. Kilburn put up a fight.
She took her case to Superior Court and lost. She took her case to the state Appellate Court who upheld the previous decision. According to the Hartford Courant’s article, Ms. Kilburn is considering her options.
I clearly have an opinion about this. Actually, I have several.
Let me preface my thoughts by saying that I lived in West Hartford for many years and have worked with many clients who have bought and sold homes in town. West Hartford has many positive attributes.
However, if you’ve ever lived in West Hartford, you know that you need a permit to do anything except eat and sleep. West Hartford loves rules. And in particular, West Hartford loves zoning regulations. In defense of the town elders, you can’t have a town that is so diverse and populous without having rules.
However, some rules need an exception. And some laws are ridiculous.
I understand that the town doesn’t want to have hoarders or dog breeding facilities in the tightly packed neighborhoods of West Hartford. Ms. Kilburn seems to be neither. Her house is larger than the average house in town. She lives there alone with her 18 ten-pound dogs in what is by all accounts, an immaculate home. Her dogs aren’t left outside to bark incessantly.
So, Ms. Kilburn’s only crime is that she has too many dogs. How many of you out there have too many children? Too many cars? Too many televisions? Who says what’s too many?
I have three dogs and choose to take really great care of them, rather than spend my money on other things. If I want to have three dogs and as long as I take care of them and they’re not a menace to the neighborhood, then why can’t I?
I’m sure everyone can agree that if Ms. Kilburn were mistreating the dogs, running a commercial breeding operation out of her home or if the neighbors were complaining, then Ms. Kilburn would be in the wrong.
But just the opposite is true - the dogs are well taken care of, she is not breeding them and from what I could find, just one neighbor did complain but only because she was breaking the law, not because the dogs were a nuisance.
Now that the case has gone on for so long, I doubt West Hartford will back down. Ms. Kilburn will either have to keep fighting (long enough for her dogs to pass away), move, pay the fines or give up/euthanize her dogs. All of these options are unfair to Faith and her dogs.
West Hartford could possibly be the least dog friendly town in Connecticut.
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Alternatives to Abandoning Your Pet When Facing Foreclosure or Eviction
March 21st, 2009 categories: Central Connecticut News & Information, Pets & People
I was recently interviewed for this article in Our Companions News, available online, about the increase in pets abandoned due to the economy, foreclosure or eviction.
Many people want to keep their pets but either because they don’t think they have a choice or they wait until the last minute, pets are left at vacant homes or dropped off in the middle of the night at shelters (my dog, Willy, was tied to the dumpster at a local shelter and was luckier than some). These pets face very uncertain futures - especially older pets or certain dog breeds such as pitbulls.
This article is for pet owners who need to find a new home that will include their pet. But it’s also for Realtors with clients going through a short sale or foreclosure, landlords who may want to reconsider their pet-policy or anyone who comes into contact with people in financial trouble who have pets.
From the recent Our Companions News,
‘The impact of the current economic crisis and the rise in home foreclosures has led to an increase in abandoned pets left on the streets and doorsteps of shelters across the country. Overburdened shelters are turning pet owners away at the door, as they are already unable to manage the influx of homeless animals. Desperate pet owners, suddenly unable to handle the financial responsibility for their pets, or forced to move out of their homes and are unable to take their pets with them, seemingly have nowhere to turn. As a result, people are leaving their beloved pets behind in vacated properties or depositing them in the streets to fend for themselves.
Called “foreclosure pets,” this new wave of abandoned pets is most likely to impact cats, who are often viewed as more disposable than dogs. In some extreme cases pets are found in the home, long after the owners have left, in conditions too severe to mention. But most often, cats are simply left on streets to find food and shelter on their own.
Homeowners or tenants facing eviction often don’t want to face reality and may wait until the last minute to worry about their pets. Our Companions’ Animal Helpline volunteers, on the front lines of this trend, have been seeing an increase in calls for assistance where the need is economy related. “We’re getting more calls from people facing eviction due to foreclosure than ever before. Most often, the need is urgent. We want to help pet owners but we need time to help them,” says Susan Linker, CEO of Our Companions.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, moving or no-pet landlord policies have always been among the top three reasons people give for abandoning their pets.
And when you have an economic and housing crisis affecting more and more people, the need for assistance only increases. But it doesn’t have to be this heart-wrenching.
Alternatives to Pet Abandonment
Pet owners are not without alternatives to abandonment. Although it takes more effort, finding a new home that will accept your pet will ensure that he/she has a loving home in the future. Planning ahead and having a positive approach can produce an outcome that works for everyone. There are various resources within most states to help people find rental housing that is advertised to be pet-friendly, where landlords either accept all or some types of pets. We’ve enclosed a list of resources at the end of this article to assist you.
In addition to these resources, there are also constructive ways to make contact with landlords who might not openly advertise a pets-allowed policy. While some landlords completely forbid or restrict pets and will place their pet policy in their advertising, many others would gladly rent to
responsible pet owners who are good tenants if they are asked and presented with a good reason to do so.’
Is There A Ghost by Band of Horses
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Creative DIY Cat Litter Box Solution for Wall-mounted Bathroom Sink
February 25th, 2009 categories: Pets & People
Lifehacker.com (originally from IkeaHacker) has a great post on how to make a cat litter box with a cover that will fit under a wall-mounted bathroom sink.
Don’t have a wall-mounted sink? Read the comments for more ideas on what other readers did to answer the timeless question, “where do I put the cat litter box?”
He War by Cat Power
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DogCars.com Announces Dodge Grand Caravan is 2008 DogCar of the Year
Do you dig real estate news, tips and advice? Sniffing around for pet-related information in Connecticut? Get Unleashed - the blog that’s helping to find homes for people and pets.
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Tyson Needs Your Help
February 6th, 2009 categories: Pets & People
I don’t often post urgent messages about pets who need a home. But I have a special place in my heart for pit bulls…maybe because they are the underdog and I like a good underdog.
Tyson was found wandering the streets of Windsor by a passerby and has been living in the Windsor dog pound ever since. I can’t blame the guy - he’s going nuts in the kennel and is really miserable. He’s so unhappy that he’s begun to hurt himself. He wants out of the kennel NOW.
If you can offer Tyson your home or know someone who can, call the Town of Windsor Animal Control at 860-688-5273 or e-mail davis@townofwindsorct.com.
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DogCars.com Announces Dodge Grand Caravan is 2008 DogCar of the Year
January 10th, 2009 categories: Pets & People
I came across DogCars.com while looking for a car to fit my family, which includes two big humans, one little human and three 70-pound dogs. Tired of squeezing everyone into a VW Passat, I needed a larger car that would fit my budget and my dogs.
DogCars.com reviews cars for pet-friendly features such as the size of the cargo area (to fit dogs and crates), whether the seats fold down (to store more dog stuff, of course), and how safe the car is for our four-legged passengers.
Plus, it reviews cars for economy, knowing that pet-lovers prefer to spend their extra cash on squeaky toys and fancy dog beds.
It’s truly helpful for busy people who don’t have time to try out the backseat of every SUV and wagon on the market.
Here is the winner for 2008, the Dodge Grand Caravan.
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