Help...landlord won't except prescription therapy dog?

Question

My doctor prescribed me a dog for my very bad anxiety disorder. I am also disabled, but that is not what the dog is for. He is to help me cope with my anxiety. This landlord refuses the dog. What can I do? Thank you!!

Answer 1

Call or contact your local housing authority, that is discrimination. If you have a dog for medical reasons -- no matter what they are -- the landlord is discriminating against you if he doesn't allow it, or if you're evicted because of it.

Answer 2

As for the first answer, the landlord is not being discriminatory against YOU, that is obvious - he gave you the place to live in!!

He is choosing to discriminate about having pets in the house - I am also a landlord and I have a no cats and no dogs policy. If someone decided they want a dog, that's fine - but they need to be moving out first.

A landlord is perfectly entitled to refuse to allow pets of all types - though most of us are happy to permit things like fish and other "mess-free, noise free" pets. A dog has the ability to disturb other tenants, damage the apartment and generally cause more problems than a "dog-free apartment".

You might ask your landlord if he would consider another, less "typically bothersome" pet. If you were happy to increase your despoit for damage potential - and ensure that the pet did no damage to anyone elses property then he might be more agreeable. I am guessing that the doctors "prescription" did not specifiy an exact breed of dog - and if your landlord and you were happy with - for example - keeping tropical fish, you might well find the landlord happy.

He may even be ok with a rabbit or other small noiseless animal.

If you insist on a dog, you are going to need to be looking at moving I suspect - which is not going to be helpful for your anxiety levels.

Likewise, if your anxiety is genuine - and it may well be - then the last thing I would have thought you would want is an ongoing legal case.

At the rish of adding more reality to the situation, even if you DID succeed, then you might find the tenancy suddenly is no longer up for renewal.

Mark

Answer 3

This kind of situation is exactly why I bought a townhouse instead of living in horrible rental situations for the rest of my life.

I hated everything about renting from the complete control landlords have to feeling like I was getting nowhere financially.

I have a social anxiety disorder and my cats help me relieve my stress, a lot. Anxiety disorders are absolutely not something you can just "get over". While I have curbed some of my problems I have permanent scars for life. People who do not understand this have obviously not been through similar problems.

You may be able to fight this legally but if the dog was not trained to help with this to you you may lose the fight. In the mean time you may end up having nightmares etc and making your situation worse.

Answer 4

unless your anxiety is so significant as to render you disabled, I doubt that the Americans with Disabilities Act applies.


Landlord does have rights too -- he owns the place and he has to assure that others [future tenants and/or neighbors] are not put out by the dog. Not to mention that the history of dogs in tenant properties is that they cause added expense to landlords (which is why many landlords prohibit them).


Example: My granddaughter has severe allergy to dog dander. Her face literally puffs up right before your eyes if she's within 10 feet of many long haired dogs, or even where they live.

Is my granddaughter's condition a disability? Not afaik. And it is right on the edge -- suppose she was in an enclosed place like the airport terminal and a bomb sniffing dog was brought in to which she is allergic?

Landlord has a potential similar situation with future tenants, if no one else. [You neglect to mention the details of the rental property so we do not know if there are other tenants, etc.]


So, if possible, here's what you do -- talk to landlord about the possible added expense to him and the inconvenience to neighbors [other tenants??]. Maybe you can strike a financial deal to permit the dog, given that you have a medical condition.


GL

Answer 5

not sure if you are protected under the ADA with regards to the dog. honestly i dont know landlords are difficult to deal with especially since you would have to take them to federal court. is it an apartmen t complex try calling the owners. ask this Q in people with disabilities people there may be of better help. it is a sub group on yahoo answers\\\


MARK T IS 100% WRONG. SERVICE DOGS ARE ALLOWED IN ANY APARTMENT EVEN IF THERE IS A NO DOG POLICY I HOPE HE GETS SUED

Answer 6

i would contact the ADA - americans with disabilities assoc.
they luv these kind of cases!
it will most probably take a while and they may give you a 30 day notice to move instead of taking the hit from the ADA.

also visit and ADA lawyer.

good luck

Answer 7

Did your doctor actually prescribe a dog or advise you to get one. Big difference.

Answer 8

A dog for anxiety? Such bullsh it!!!! Who really believes that crap. Such a sorry excuse to have an animal. Either get over your "anxiety" yourself and get rid of your silly helper or move.