No home for the big dogs?
Porter and Shadow are great family pets. They’re both German shepherd dogs that have lived with their owner, Christy, as part of her family for six and three-and-a-half years respectively. They’ve never had any behavioral problems, they get along great with other dogs and people, and they’ve even been known to share their home (and toys) with the dogs that Christy fosters through her volunteer work with a Colorado-based German shepherd rescue organization.
Sadly, when Christy had to move out of her previous home about six months ago she was forced to move Porter and Shadow to Utah to live with her extended family. She just couldn’t find pet-friendly housing that would allow her to keep her four-legged family members.
Christy’s story is far from unique. It’s one we’ve heard repeated in every corner of the state and in every state in the country. Pet-friendly housing that allows all good dogs and responsible owners is becoming increasingly rare and increasingly more expensive.
To put the problem in perspective, a recent study looked at 200 self-identifying “pet-friendly” properties from across Colorado. Of those surveyed, only 1 accepts dogs of all shapes, breeds and sizes. What was even more startling was the number of dogs impacted by the restrictions, including German shepherds, huskies, sheepdogs, dalmations and many other common breeds that Coloradans have as pets.
Simply put, there is a housing crisis in our state that is exacerbated if you want to share your home with a pet dog. Making matters worse, research has consistently found that the number-one reason owners surrender pets to our municipal and nonprofit shelters is for lack of housing. Tragically, many of these wonderful family pets won’t make it out of the shelter alive.
That’s why we’re working to bring forward a bipartisan, common-sense solution to help solve this problem. The Colorado General Assembly has the authority, and duty, to protect the property rights of responsible owners from overreaching homeowners associations (HOAS) that place arbitrary and restrictive bylaws in their communities. These quasi-legislative bodies shouldn’t be allowed to tell the owners of well-behaved dogs that they can’t keep their beloved dalmation or their husky that works at the local children’s hospital as a certified therapy dog. This problem requires a legislative solution to protect our property rights.
The state House recently debated legislation that would end this crisis by prohibiting HOAS from discriminating against property owners based on the size, weight or breed of their pet, while maintaining their authority to regulate dogs and owners based on behavior, which is the appropriate measure. While the vote was close, it didn’t go our way this time around. Yet, we were encouraged by the countless Coloradans that emailed and called their representatives to tell them they want to see legislative action to protect their rights. We heard their voices, and we can promise that we will continue to fight for their rights and for their pets.
Truly pet-friendly housing is a winning solution for everyone. It will create opportunities for responsible owners to find housing for their entire family, pets included. At the same time, HOAS will benefit from an influx of responsible pet owners that care about their property, their pets and their neighbors. Add to this the tax dollars saved by municipalities that will see fewer dogs surrendered to their shelters and you can see why so many Coloradans want this to become law.
We will continue to work with lawmakers to find a solution to the housing crisis, particularly as it relates to HOAS. Porter, Shadow and Christy deserve better than the status quo.
Colorado has earned a reputation as a state that both loves its pets and stands up for the property rights of its citizens. Passage of legislation to reign in overreaching HOAS will further cement this welldeserved distinction. We hope that legislative members will listen to their constituents and pass this law.