Are You A Responsible Pet Owner?

Providing for your pets' physical needs and caring for them with love and commitment are the first requirements of responsible pet owners. But these are not the only requirements. Pet caregivers cannot reasonably or responsibly ignore the impact their animals can have on neighbors. This is especially true of those living in multifamily rental properties.

Here are a few commonsense rules to keep your neighbors happy--and your pet safe!

Responsible Owners:
*Clean up after their pets and dispose of the waste in a sanitary manner. Not cleaning up after your pet can lead to fines as defined in your rental agreement.
*Keep their dogs on leashes at all times when outside the home.
*Help their cats stay safe and live longer by keeping them indoors and away from situations where they could become a nuisance.
*Ensure that their dogs or cats are licensed and outfited with visible identification at all times.
*Obey local animal nuisance laws (which generally define "excessive noise" by any animal as continuous or incessant for a period of ten minutes, or intermittently for one-half hour, to the disturbance of any person at any time day or night)
*spay or neuter their dog or cat to improve health and behavior of the animal and to prevent their animal from adding to the problem of pet overpopulation.
*Maintain an active flea-and-tick control program so these pests won't spread to neighboring units, the common areas of the building, or public parks.
*maintain a pet emergency kit that includes an emergency plan and supplies in the event the home must be quickly evacuated because of a disaster.

***Information adapted from www.hsus.org, Renting With Pets: The Online Resource For Rental Managers and Pet Owners