[CJay]

Sorry for the long post... I need to vent!

My roommate has got to be the absolute worst pet owner I've met... I don't know why she bothered getting a dog. We live in housing that doesn't even allow animals but they don't know the dog is here. She's had this dog for at least a month probably more and it has been outside once. That was to go to petco and get shots... Thats it. The dog barks all day and she leaves it alone 75% of the time. The other 25% the dog is just trapped in her room while she lays in bed with her boyfriend. The dog didn't have toys or treats for 2 weeks until I finally bought it some and then she went out and got some because she was upset the dog was always scratching at my bedroom door to come in. I'm the only person who lives here that pays the dog any mind. She just wanted the dog because "it was cute". Well my roommate and I no longer get along for various reason so she's always shooing her dog away from me. The dog has started howling and creating a ruckus... I really hope someone complains and she has to give up the dog to someone who actually takes care of it. The dog uses the bathroom all over our apartment and I'm honestly just counting the days until I move out into my new pet friendly apartment by myself and welcome my puppy into my home.

She's admitted over and over not knowing what to do with the dog, never owning a dog before and I gave her various websites, doggy day care information... none of which she's used. Now she wants to allow her dog to have babies because her friend just got a male puppy. I really wish I could take the dog for myself but I don't have the patience to deal with 2 dogs (i've already paid a deposit for my puppy) nor the money or space and I surely don't want the responsibility of having the dog right now in this complex that we aren't even allowed to have pets in!

 

[Red Fraggle]

Ugh...how long till you can move?
Has the dog caused any permanent damage to the apartment yet? You might want to tell roomie that she needs to get it out of the place until you're off the lease and no longer jointly responsible for damage. Tell her you wouldn't mind as much if she had been taking care of the dog, but it's more likely to cause damage to the unit because she isn't giving it enough exercise, potty training, etc.. and you are not willing to take responsibility for damage caused by her pet.

I don't know if there's anything you can do to help the dog other than trying to educate your roomie, but that could very well be a lost cause.

 

[CJay]

We all have separate leases (its a weird campus kind of thing) so I won't be responsible but yes there are minor damages... A chewed counter corner and couch corner! She's always saying she's not paying for any of it and they won't see but honestly its between her and management. I try educating and it doesn't help I feel like she just doesn't care and thinks the puppy is a new toy!

 

[Red Fraggle]

Well, I doubt there's much you can do that's going to improve the situation for this dog much. AC's not likely to do anything about these issues and if you rat her out to management, the dog may end up going straight to a shelter. I honestly can't say whether the pup's chances of a decent life are better with roomie or the shelter. Sounds pretty dismal either way.

 

[Amaryllis]

I'd call the apartment manager personally. The dog would be better off at the shelter. Especially if she's going to breed her willy nilly and make 5+ more dogs to go to the shelter.

 

[Red Fraggle]

Especially if she's going to breed her willy nilly and make 5+ more dogs to go to the shelter.

Good point.

 

[Sasha1/2]

I'd call the apartment manager personally. The dog would be better off at the shelter. Especially if she's going to breed her willy nilly and make 5+ more dogs to go to the shelter.

I agree. Let the manager know her intention to breed in the pet-free-apartment.

 

[Charis]

I agree. Let the manager know her intention to breed in the pet-free-apartment.

Amen. I rarely say a dog would be better off in a shelter however it will not be breed, it will receive basic needed care and hopefully some attention. Perhaps you could call a no-kill rescue to arrange to take the dog before you call management? At least then the dog will have the best chance at finding a new home.

 

[sscott87]

I agree. Let the manager know her intention to breed in the pet-free-apartment.

This. What about damage to common areas of the apartment? I know what you mean about campus-like, individual leases. I lived in such an apartment with a friend my last 2 years of college, but damage in the common areas (living room, kitchen, etc) is a toss up. Sure, they could likely look in her room and see dog-related damage and assume they were related and hit her with all of it, but still, would be a mess if they say "common area, you're both responsible." And of course, the puppy...hate to say it but a shelter may be the best option, especially if she's somehow thinking making more puppies is a good idea.

 

[CJay]

There are 4 of us and every time something happens that leads to management finding out about the dog it starts a huge war hence why I don't get along with them anymore. They know she has a dog but she hides the dog every time they come so they have no proof of anything. People even complained about the barking but they can't "find" the dog. Its sad really. I wish I could get someone to come take to dog away... I'm going to try and find a solution!

 

[sscott87]

Here's what you do. A dog isn't THAT easy to simply "hide" in an apartment. Especially on short notice. Management probably has the right to come enter the apartment at any given time on little or no notice. They very well can put out notices on doors saying "between such and such dates we will be entering each unit to inspect such and such" or along those lines. THAT I know they can do, and again, they may very well have the right to arrive 100% unannounced and enter the apartment on their own account and proceed into any given room with whatever purpose they have. If there have been complaints of dog barking, even better. If they truly want to bust your roommate, help them out nice and quiet. Sure, your roommates may suspect you had something to do with it (but if it's already raised issues among the group, they're going to think you had a hand in that particular roommate being busted no matter what, so oh well) but they don't have to actually know that you did. Just get with management, explain the entire situation to them and that you'd be very willing to let them in and walk them through the entire place if they were to show up for an "unannounced" visit (that you, of course, may very well know of), preferably at a time that the dog owner is not home and the dog is simply in his/her room. All they have to be doing is "checking the rooms for damages/issues/etc" and OH, WHAT?! THIS PERSON HAS A DOG IN THEIR ROOM?!

No, that does not solve the problem instantly, but suddenly your roommate is officially busted and will likely be given so many days to remove the dog from the apartment, and this is where you could also come in and go "hey, here's a list of some local rescues/no-kill shelters that could take the dog."

That, honestly, looks like one of the best options. No matter what, you're in a sticky situation. Looks like you either have to bite your tongue and deal with it, or take blame for the roommate having to get rid of the dog, whether you play a role in it or not, as it sounds like he/she/they may already hold a grudge against you in the entire situation.

 

[Red Fraggle]

In my area it would be very illegal to show up for an unannounced inspection....but any occupant on the lease could ask the landlord to come check out a "leaky pipe" and said landlord would bust their butt to hurry over and prevent permanent water damage. Pick a time when roomie's left the dog home alone (since apparently she does that) and voila!

 

[Crantastic]

Management probably has the right to come enter the apartment at any given time on little or no notice.

Landlords are allowed to enter with no notice only if there's an emergency, or if they show up and ask to come in and the tenant says it's okay. If the tenant refuses, the landlord cannot come in. Landlords have to provide written notice that they plan to enter any rental dwelling, and it has to be delivered a full 24 hours before they plan to enter. They can never just show up and let themselves in when the tenant is not home.

In any case, OP, just wait until the roommate is not home but the dog is, and ask the landlord to come and inspect the place. They are allowed to enter immediately if you invite them! Who cares about bad blood with the roommate? You're leaving soon anyway.

 

[Herdingpup]

Where I live it is illegal for a landlord(or management, maintenance, etc) to show up unannounced and demand access to the apartment. I can't imagine anywhere you can get away with that!

I agree with the previous poster that said to call maintenance for an issue, even something small like a light bulb out. Though don't always count on maintenance giving a hoot. I had a coworker who never bothered to hide her cat when maintenance came around, and they never told management.

 

[Gally]

If this a dorm type situation or a college owned housing then the rules are often different than normal landlord/tenant rules because many of the people in housing are underage. The "lease" often allows school representatives to act in a guardianship type role and to enter on little to no notice to check for things like alcohol, drugs and other illegal items/activity. That's how it was at my school anyway.

 

[sscott87]

Oh snap! Slow down people! The OP does not live in a normal apartment but rather a dorm-like college apartment in which each roommate has an individual lease for his/her bedroom and a shared responsibility for the common areas. Though not a dorm, it's not a typical apartment and I can almost certainly guarantee that the rights of the management lie somewhere in-between. I lived, not long ago, in such an apartment for 2 years. While I don't doubt that they cannot show up 100% unannounced and enter without a tenant's permission/presence, that's not to say they couldn't happen to pop up if the OP calls them (after pre-arranging things to a degree) and proceeds to let them enter. They surely can, though, give notice that they'll be coming through the units at some point. Such as notices left on the doors that they'll be coming through for whatever purposes, inspections, health and welfare, checking HVAC filters, etc etc etc (the possibilities are endless) and oh, wait...there's a barking dog? Well, Mr. Maintenance guy or whoever immediately proceeds to call the property manager and report such and thus a domino affect. The possible ways to go about this and still be legal are really many, hence why I didn't get too specific, but I would put money on the fact that if the OP has a copy of her lease and goes back to look at it, it likely has something in it somewhere that some of you obviously would not expect, such things that your typical apartment would not have, where yes, they do usually have much more privacy written into them.

 

[CJay]

They are allowed to do random checks for certain reasons like complaints about people using drugs and such... I didn't mean to spark a whole debate about management and landlord rules! But this is about getting the dog to a place where it can get the care and love she deserves. I can tell a family member (who she will most likely give the dog to) isn't the best choice because they brought the dogs mother to a shelter because she was acting like a "female dog" -in the negative use of the word. The dog just looks so sad all the time and I try playing with her when im the only one home but when I go into my room for the night and close my door she just cries and cries and I fear I'm making the situation worse. Last time they came to fix a leak she just put the dog in her room and while all of your suggestions are great she sleeps in often and the dog is in her room and quiet during they times matinence would come in. So they never go in her room and they haven't found of about the dog. As far as me letting them in, I work 9-5 take night classes for the time being so I'm only really home at night. The 2 days I don't work she's home with the dog in her room. I can't make any excuse for them to go inside her room because it's not my room. They also have to knock and announce themselves before they come inside the apartment which gives her time to go inside her room and keep he dog "quiet". I'm going to try filing a noise complaint and see if they do anything and I am going to look for rescues in the area or talk to the SPCA about taking the dog.

Thanks for all of your help!

 

[sscott87]

Eh, no worries. I was the one that apparently sparked the landlord debate lol Enough complaints of a BARKING dog and surely SOMETHING will eventually uncover the "mystery"

 

[CJay]

Thats true! I really wish this happened later on in the year and I could take the dog for myself. She is so attached to me and I would actually take care of her! But at keast I can see how NOT to treat a dog and know when I get my puppy in a few months he will be very well taken care of. Honestly I now see why breeders and even Petco and the SPCA do not allow college students to adopt. I'm in grad school and got stuck with an undergrad in my apartment and its clear why they would rather older people adopt.

 

[Bordermom]

I would certainly talk to management and work with them, tell them you don't want to be responsible for the damage and where that damage can be found. If the dog is using the dorm as a bathroom, it's got to smell and there's going to be stains unless she's shampooing the carpets etc. all the time too. If you can't move to a different room see if they can be discreet about who tipped them off. Tell them she's planning to start breeding dogs, where she keeps the dog hidden and then see if you can arrange a rescue to get the pup before it goes to the shelter, or see if the pup can go to a shelter that works with rescues and make sure there's a rescue waiting.

The pup is much better off going into a shelter and taking it's chances then living in hiding for too long and then not being a well socialized adult dog, or worse having litter after litter of puppies who will have the same risks. Not likely she'd take the unwanted pups back in her situation.....