By Deborah Goonan
Pets are like members of the family for many of us. And while some doggie behavior can be a nuisance or even a danger to neighbors, that’s the exceptional case.
Neighbor to neighbor disputes over pets are fairly common, but in a homeowners’ association, sometimes the matter gets blown way out of proportion. Here’s one example. Emily Straight of Orange County, Florida, has two small Maltese dogs. A neighbor claims the dogs are aggressive, and she complained to the Bella Note at Vizcaya HOA, who, in turn have notified the owner that she is in violation of the Association’s pet rules and restrictions.
But, if you take a look at this video, and observe how they interact with a local TV 9 news reporter, it’s hard to believe these two older pups are anything but docile.
The owner and her attorney allege the HOA is bullying her, making her avoid going outside with her pets.
“On the face of it, this should have been a dispute between neighbors, but they brought it in a court of law,” said attorney Jeremy Thackurdin.
Watch the video for yourself. Do you think these dogs are aggressive? Or is the HOA way off base?
Click here to see TV 9 news video: 2 small dogs at center of Orange County HOA lawsuit
Read transcript here