by Emily Taylor
My husband and I moved to Ocean Beach back in February after falling in love with it during a visit. We love that it feels like a small town even in the middle of a huge city; we love how laid-back everyone is; and we love that it’s so dog-friendly.
But my question is: Where do all these people with dogs live??
Every rental property that I call inevitably tells me “No pets.” Every For Rent sign I see says, “No pets” or, more specifically, “No dogs.”
What’s the deal? It seems so discriminatory, and out of character for OB, to ban all dogs no matter what.
Our dogs are both female, spayed, and crated when left alone. They are not loud, rambunctious, or destructive. It’s really upsetting that most landlords here ban dog-owners as renters across the board. To not even consider them on a case-by-case basis seems backwards and ignorant.
For such a dog-friendly area, it is extremely surprising and disturbing that dogs are blacklisted from almost every rental property.
All I ask is for the chance to introduce landlords to my dogs; then, if they don’t like them or don’t feel comfortable with them, I understand. But please don’t exclude all dogs no matter what. Dogs and their owners need a roof over their heads too!
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Blame the large number of irresponsible dog owners who ruin it for everyone else.
I don’t have a dog, and I’m getting really sick of finding dog poop not only in my driveway, but in my front yard, which is fenced in.
It’s certainly making me dislike dog owners. Dogs however are still cool with me.
I know some landlords require a 1-3000k dog deposit, and make sure the dog owner has insurance…..Single family homes are the best bet ….
I understand your frustration. It’s common not only in OB, but all around San Diego for landlords to not want pets. I know of quite a few friends here who have just snuck their dogs in. One of them was found out, and was able to get a note from her physician claiming that the dog was a life-long companion and necessary for the emotional health of the owner or some crazy story like that. It worked! The landlord made a “one-time exception” and allowed my friend to keep her dog. I think they decided that rather than get caught up in a lawsuit, they would rather appreciate having a paying tenant who was never any problem and let her keep the dog. Just a thought…Good luck!
We had a hard time as well and were frustrated that such a dog-friendly area is so un-dog friendly for renters. We lucked out and found a place, but we had to pay a full month’s rent for him, plus first and last.
Unfortunately, landlords are concerned with dog damage. I wonder why they don’t discriminate equally against young, post-college age kids who litter their lawns with beer cans and beer pong tables. Not that I’m against either item — beer pong is a fun game — but a bit of an eyesore on the lawn.
I would love to move to Ocean Beach- i belong here, as a baby boomer/artist/peaceful being/organic veggie grower and advocate.
I have one 50 lb. dog and two cats, which makes me a persona non grata in this fabulous town.
I understand that property is at a premium and animals do sometimes cause damage if their owners are not paying attention, but it seems that most property owners are unwilling to have an open mind and i am sure that many landlords have pets of their own.
Give us pet owners a fair chance to live in one of the ‘grooviest’beach town in S.Cal.
I blame irresponsible pet owners for ruining it for others. It’s sad, but it’s a fact.
My slumlord lets me have pets – right now I’ve only got cats, but I’d like a dog once I’ve got the time to spend in training and forming a bond with a new animal. For the privilige I pay probably $200 more than market rate for a 3/2 (if you can call the glorified closet a third bedroom) and get to deal with broken outdoor complex lights, fire extinguishers three years past due for service, handling all my own maintenance (easier than dealing with the tweekers the owner hires that want to come out at 11 p.m. while my daughter is sleeping to work on a leaky sink), and poorly-installed windows that have me constantly battling a black mold infestation.
But I appreciate his general ‘DILLIGAF’ attitude (does anyone outside of East County or Riverside even get that acronym?), it leaves me free to live the life this beautiful town is made for…with my furry companions. When the latest round of pay cuts at work takes effect and we’re looking for somewhere cheaper to move early next year? I’m worried…and hoping my girlfriend gets a raise.
I’ve seen my share of left-behind dog poop in the area between the sidewalk and the street outside our property. Our neighbors get out the sidewalk chalk on a regular basis and leave notes with arrows asking pet owners to “pick up their poop” all to no avail.
I’m inclinded to leave a note out there myself that reads, “If I wanted your dogs poop here, I’d come over to your house and pull it outta his butt myself. We are tired of your shit.”
oh yeah, this was an article about renting a place if you own animals….good luck with that. Guess I needed to rant about left-behind poop instead.
Sunshine, we now have a place where you can make your rants – it’s called the Community Bulletin and Discussion Board.