Author Topic: I'm so mad I can't see straight!  (Read 15898 times)

Offline brandon

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Re: I'm so mad I can't see straight!
« Reply #30 on: July 12, 2006, 09:45:19 am »
Sounds like the HOA is a pain to deal with.. Invisible fences are preferred, but we might be scared of your dogs behind an invisible fence.. Doh.  You even have a sign, what else could they ask for.

I think even if they change the rules, they would have to include a grandfather clause for the current pet owners.  Either way, it's not something you want to get in the mail & it is a serious PITA.  Sorry you and the girls have to deal with this.  I think a flaming bag of rottie poo on the porch of the offending members would be in order.. haha :)
« Last Edit: July 12, 2006, 09:45:45 am by brandon »
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lins_saving_grace

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Re: I'm so mad I can't see straight!
« Reply #31 on: July 12, 2006, 09:56:43 am »
I'm not sure what else they can ask for.  I do everything to make sure people are "OK" with the girls.  I walk them at night when no one is out...i go out with them so they don't bark...i'm terribly active with them. 
Maybe I'm seeing to far into the future and drawing conclusions that aren't necessary yet.  but I can see where this is going.  :( 
I'm going to the next meeting.  God I hope I can keep my composure. 
If the association wants to make changes to the rules that they have now about dogs (the only one in the by-laws is that each home can only have 2 dogs.)  then they will have to pay a lawyer to amend the Master Deed (AGAIN!) and we'd be fined if we didn't meet those new rules.  I'm not sure how it works exactly, but if the association asks a homeowner to leave the association can buy the home and the homeowners can move out.  We aren't against that...that would save everyone a lot of time and agony, especially in this bad real estate market. 
I think I may have to suck it up and talk to some of the neighbors and ask if there are any problems with Lady and Grace specifically.   

Gypsy Jazmine

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Re: I'm so mad I can't see straight!
« Reply #32 on: July 12, 2006, 10:13:22 am »
I'm not sure what else they can ask for.  I do everything to make sure people are "OK" with the girls.  I walk them at night when no one is out...i go out with them so they don't bark...i'm terribly active with them. 
Maybe I'm seeing to far into the future and drawing conclusions that aren't necessary yet.  but I can see where this is going.  :( 
I'm going to the next meeting.  God I hope I can keep my composure. 
No you aren't seeing too far into the future!!!......This BSL & witch hunts towards our big dogs won't stop at the "vicious >:( breeds" if it is left to run it's own evil coarse...There will be another breed that is targeted & another & another...This type of thing is happeneing all over!!...There is a small town here in Iowa that targets "any dog over 100 lbs." >:( :o...It is like a small fire here & a small fire there that if left to burn will meet int eh middle like a raging inferno!!!!!...To ignore it or think it doesn't apply to each & everyone of us that own any kind of dog is allowing the flames to burn out of control.
Not to scare you Lin because that is not my intent but we all need to step up & do what you are doing by attending meetings such as you speak of, write our "powers that be" & get our dogs out there to educate people!!!

lins_saving_grace

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Re: I'm so mad I can't see straight!
« Reply #33 on: July 12, 2006, 10:18:05 am »
I will go to the next meeting for sure.  Maybe I could take the girls with me. :)  But yes...I need to be proactive I agree.  They may look nasty when they lunge at someone...but they just want to give higs and kisses.  :) 

Offline Saintgirl

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Re: I'm so mad I can't see straight!
« Reply #34 on: July 12, 2006, 11:24:01 am »
First off, I want to say that I am so sorry that you are going through this. I hate BSL....my temper flares just thinking about it. YES!!! Take your girls with you to the next meeting, then those that are for BSL have the opportunity to meet them. It always astounds me when self proclaimed 'dog lovers' are supportive of banning pit bulls, rotties, etc. You would think that the 'dog lovers' would educate themselves and not be supportive of BSL. And where did they get the information that Rotties have caused the most fatalities?  That is untrue, if they can't get little simple facts right, how are they expected to figure out the bigger things and help the community???
Leah, Hutch, and Abbey

lins_saving_grace

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Re: I'm so mad I can't see straight!
« Reply #35 on: July 12, 2006, 11:52:26 am »
First off, I want to say that I am so sorry that you are going through this. I hate BSL....my temper flares just thinking about it. YES!!! Take your girls with you to the next meeting, then those that are for BSL have the opportunity to meet them. It always astounds me when self proclaimed 'dog lovers' are supportive of banning pit bulls, rotties, etc. You would think that the 'dog lovers' would educate themselves and not be supportive of BSL. And where did they get the information that Rotties have caused the most fatalities?  That is untrue, if they can't get little simple facts right, how are they expected to figure out the bigger things and help the community???
you're right...they aren't number 1...Rotts are No. 2. i found this today:

The breeds most likely to kill
As stated above, there are two problems that have been reported as though there is only a single problem, namely there are canine homicides (i.e., dog bite related human fatalities) and the dog bite epidemic. In recent years, the dogs responsible for the bulk of the homicides are pit bulls and Rottweilers:


Offline shangrila

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Re: I'm so mad I can't see straight!
« Reply #36 on: July 12, 2006, 11:54:03 am »
Lins, I would really caution you not to get too worked up about this yet. It might end up being a major issue, and the line about rotties was unnecessary and possibly directed at lady and grace. However, it might end up working out that their lawyer says they can't do anything about it, or that even if they do, they need to include a grandfather clause (which would mean that it wouldnt apply to lady and grace). I think that it is a great idea to attend the meetings, but I would be careful to remain calm and not get defensive - if you do, it would only make the problem worse. It's totally lame that they are flipping out when the dog attack reference didn't even occur in your development, and if they do try and take action against you, you have every right to get upset. But for right now, try not to be too upset about something that hasn't happened yet. Instead of being angry and defensive, try and be proactive by going to meetings, being friendly, and politely educate your neighbors.
RIP former BPO

lins_saving_grace

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Re: I'm so mad I can't see straight!
« Reply #37 on: July 12, 2006, 12:02:04 pm »
Lins, I would really caution you not to get too worked up about this yet. It might end up being a major issue, and the line about rotties was unnecessary and possibly directed at lady and grace. However, it might end up working out that their lawyer says they can't do anything about it, or that even if they do, they need to include a grandfather clause (which would mean that it wouldnt apply to lady and grace). I think that it is a great idea to attend the meetings, but I would be careful to remain calm and not get defensive - if you do, it would only make the problem worse. It's totally lame that they are flipping out when the dog attack reference didn't even occur in your development, and if they do try and take action against you, you have every right to get upset. But for right now, try not to be too upset about something that hasn't happened yet. Instead of being angry and defensive, try and be proactive by going to meetings, being friendly, and politely educate your neighbors.
:)  I am getting calmed down about this as the day goes on.  I just this morning couldn't help but feel like the perverbial finger was pointed right at me and feel protective and defensive.
Tonight...I'm gonna run up the street and meet the new pit bull up the road and talk to people (calmly) and see what happens.  I was really really ticked this morning.
thanks for saying it outloud though.  I needed that.

Offline NoDogNow

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Re: I'm so mad I can't see straight!
« Reply #38 on: July 12, 2006, 12:37:12 pm »
Put me on the list of "never met a mean rottie" people, too. But the only goldens I would ever consider turning my back on would be wearing a guide dog harness! I've seen a number of them just go off.  In terms of the amount of damage done by bad breeding, IMHO goldens may be even worse off then German shepherds.

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Maybe I could take the girls with me.

No maybes about it.  You NEED to take the girls with you to meetings. Take them everywhere, and do it all the time. By keeping your dogs under wraps, you've apparently been feeding the idiots' perception that they're dangerous! :o So much for trying to be sensitive to their feelings. It's time for you need to make your dogs so public that everyone in the whole HOA knows them by name and can tell them apart.  Stupid #(*&@$^*!  ::)

Stop walking the girls at night--walk them as often as possible in the daytime, when there are lots of people around.  If you can walk them when the kids are going to or just getting out of school, all the better for everyone.  The girls can learn that kids are good because they get treats when they ignore them, and the kids can learn that your dogs are nice.  Maybe some of them will even want to be friends.

I know that you're not a people person by nature, but you have such wipes for neighbors that you're going to have to learn to play the role of a people person for the girls' sake!

Go forth and bring wisdom, I say unto you; do not hide the girls' light under a bushel.  You must be a faithful disciple of the Gospel of The Big Paw, and convert the heathens around you to the truth of our ways by the goodness of your dogs and the sweetness of their drools!

Well...the massive amounts of their drools, anyway.
 :-*
Sheryl, Dogless and sad

doggylover

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Re: I'm so mad I can't see straight!
« Reply #39 on: July 12, 2006, 01:59:38 pm »
It sounds totally paranoid, but this is basically the reason we have never registered Badger, we won't chip him, and there is really no record of him.  When we take him to the vet, we use a different address.  We have never, and would never live in a neighborhood with cc&r's (neighborhood assc) because of this. 
People are idiots when it comes to large breeds.  A while back, some people in our state were trying to get pits/rotts/dobermans/gsd banned. 
Good luck Lins...I agree with everything everyone has said on this.  You and your girls have done NOTHING wrong.  You are just victims of tolerated discrimination
 :(

Offline kathryn

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Re: I'm so mad I can't see straight!
« Reply #40 on: July 12, 2006, 06:44:35 pm »
  Everyone else has such great ideas but I would also research dog attacks by small and mid-size dogs and take those along also.  Just to prove that all dogs can be provoked or mishandled.  Then knowing me I would ask for a restriction on kids yelling, screaming, running, playing, etc out in their yards.  I don't have kids and I might have a kid phobia.   ;)

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Offline K9ldy00

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Re: I'm so mad I can't see straight!
« Reply #41 on: July 12, 2006, 07:31:43 pm »
Lins, I am sorry your having to deal with this. Home Owners Associations basically suck. I had a run in with mine. http://www.bigpawsonly.com/index.php/topic,9785.0.html

If I ever get another place it will be without Home Owners Associations. They get together like the witch hunters that they are.Then they start picking on anyone that doesn't fit into their small narrow minded vision of conformity.
I am not a big people person myself and it just burns me up to think people like us have to justify our choices to the witch hunters. I hope everything works out well for you.
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Offline Scootergirl

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Re: I'm so mad I can't see straight!
« Reply #42 on: July 13, 2006, 01:09:25 am »
I would hesitate to bring the girls to the meeting. There may be a lot of high emotion and heated arguments and the girls may not understand and any nervousness on their part may be misconstrued and could work against you. However, you've done a great thing already by inviting your neighbors to come meet your dogs individually.

Also, I don't know if I'd bring evidence of smaller dogs attacking people - that could also potentially aggravate the situation and they could decide that they just won't allow dogs at all - period - in the neighborhood if they can't trust any breed. Non-pet owners are going to interpret this as all dogs are the same kind of info.

It's better to accentuate the positives about pet ownership - less chance of homes in the neighborhood being robbed if they have dogs, companionship, lowers your blood pressure, guardians, etc. and point out the great things rottweilers - and other large breeds - have done (i.e. that they are not all bad). One reason rottweilers may be labeled as tops in the list of severe dog bite reports is that a bite from a poorly maintained rottie is obviously going to do a whole lot more damage than a bite from a mean toy poodle. And, it's not as likely that someone would report a bite from a smaller dog since the damage would not be as severe so the reports are skewed and not necessarily accurate.
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principle difference between dog and man." -- Mark Twain

Offline Scootergirl

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Re: I'm so mad I can't see straight!
« Reply #43 on: July 13, 2006, 01:13:29 am »
This is an excellent article about dog bites from the HSUS. I suggest you print it and make enough copies to pass out to everyone at the meeting:

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/dog_care/stay_dog_bite_free/questions_and_answers_about_dog_bites/

especially note where it says the most effective laws (to prevent dog bites) are the ones that punish the owners not the dogs or breed of dog (something like that)
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principle difference between dog and man." -- Mark Twain