The continuing saga of the foster dog!

Image by This Year's Love via Flickr

It is time to renew my lease, so being the proper person I am, I told them about the "foster dog" and added him to my pet form.  Well......I was asked, not too politely, a million questions about this "dog" and told quite rudely that there are stipulations and he needs to meet their rules or leave.  I answered all of their questions about Austen and apparently he meets the requirements--over 1 year old, small, all shots, etc.  I now am informed that I have to pay an additional $325 deposit (my original deposit was $175 for Satchmo) since the pet deposit for two pets is $500 total.  WTF???

So, OK, I will pay the deposit because I believe in rules and try to be a good pet owner.  My dogs go outside every two hours on leashes and I walk them in the area allotted for pets.  I even have bags to clean up after them when they are out to "do their business".  They are in good health, well-fed and have manners.  They do not run loose and bite or growl at others.

The big issue for me began this morning.  As is their norm, they woke me up early (still dark) to go out for their morning "constitutional".  Being dogs, they have a particular area that they have chosen for that purpose.  Makes taking them out easy and quick.  Anyway, we are on our way to this area when all of a sudden there is a Pit Bull male dog growling at my leashed little ones.  It seems that the owner of this dog, being lazy or uninformed, simply opens the door and allows his dog to run outside to do his business.  He never looked to see if there might be a problem. 

Austen and this dog are growling and sniffing and the pit bull starts getting excited.  I literally have to pick Austen up by his harness and hold him up in the air to prevent attack from the pit.  Meanwhile, Satchmo has finished his business and runs over to "see the new dog" who then begins to attack Satch.  I have to throw Austen down and lift Satch up by his harness out of "harms' way". 

So I am holding Satch up in the air and yanking Austen's leash to try to get away from this dog when the owner finally comes out to get his dog.  His only response was, "Did it rain all night?"  I, meanwhile, am dragging my dogs off as fast as I can and he has to call his dog "Champ" numerous times before he will come.

This family not only has this male pit bull dog, but also a pit bull puppy in this apartment.  I never would have thought they would simply open the door and let the dogs run out!  The issue here is not that these are pit bull dogs.  I actually like that breed of dog and have owned two pit puppies when I lived out in the country.  Generally, they are loving and loyal dogs--but the breed has been bred for years and years to fight and once the dogs get excited it is difficult to shut down that behavior.

All I could see in my mind's eye was the little dogs lying lifeless on the ground after being attacked by a much bigger dog.  I was shaking and so were the dogs.  Satch began to vomit once we got home.

So, do you think the apartment manager knows about these dogs?  Do you think these people paid $500 deposit?  I don't know and I don't care, but it will be some time before we walk by this apartment again.

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