On a Tight Leash
Owning a Pet in a Crowded Building Can Mean Following a Maze of Restrictions

By Allan Lengel
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, August 25, 2007

A woman spots a dog relieving itself in a planter outside the entrance of her downtown Washington condo building, in front of a sign that warns against such acts.

When the indignant woman points out the sign to the pet owner, who lives in the building, he replies, "My dog can't read."

It may sound like a vaudeville joke, but the woman who recounted the story insisted that it's no laughing matter.

"We've had some major issues," she said. "It's created a rift between the pet owners and non-pet owners." She spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern over stirring up more tension in her building, near 10th and L streets NW.

In urban and suburban Washington, which has experienced a spike in condo development in recent years, those with pets and those without are learning to share tight spaces, raising myriad issues. The conflicts and concerns have led to a variety of rules, including outright bans of certain pets at some condos and cooperatives, weight and height limits for dogs, and government restrictions at parks.

"I think in most cases, people tend to get along, but there may be these isolated buildings or hot spots," said Ron Sitrin, a real estate agent with Long & Foster in Friendship Heights.

Rules at condos and cooperatives vary greatly. Some have weight limits. Some don't. Some have height restrictions or impose fines for letting dogs run without a leash. Some won't allow a pet turtle or bird.

"I know certain kind of buildings, they'll say, 'cats, but no dogs,' " said real estate agent Andrea Evers of the Evers and Co. Real Estate office in Dupont Circle. "Some have a dog-size policy because the people who live in the building are frightened of sharing an elevator with a large dog."

At some places, the weight limit can go as low as 20 pounds.

Slava Pylyshenko, owner of a 35-pound Tibetan terrier named Tom, scoffs at weight limits, which she said her Bethesda condo association is talking about. "I think people are somewhat afraid of bigger dogs. They think they make bigger messes," she said. "People tend to think big dogs are more dangerous. It's usually the little dogs that do the yapping in the apartment."

Whatever the case, there are limits to the limits: Real estate agents say the weight limit at condo buildings is usually determined by a visual inspection. They say they can't recall seeing a pooch weigh in like a welterweight champ or, for that matter, get booted from a building for beefing up on table scraps.

In some residential buildings, though, restrictions go beyond weight. "Some uptight buildings will only allow the pets to come in and out of the rear entrance," said Knight Champion, a real estate agent with Long & Foster in Friendship Heights. "They don't want pets in the lobby, like they're servants."

Daphne Coates, property manager for the Radius, a three-year old condo building at 1300 N Street NW, says her building at one time had owners take dogs out through the loading dock to foster coexistence.

But safety trumped those concerns. "Someone was mugged back there so now we allow them to come through the lobby area," she said.

Still, she said, other rules have stayed in place: only one cat and one dog, none over 50 pounds; no pit bulls, Rottweilers or Doberman pinschers; and dogs must be carried or on a leash in community areas.

Coates says about 100 out of 170 units have pets, mostly dogs, and people coexist well, though she admits: "It's a balancing act. There's only about three people who have issues. Others are friendly with the dogs and pet the dogs."

Last month, she said, a dog jumped on a woman and scratched her leg. The woman called animal control, which concluded that the dog did not have rabies. The condo management issued a notice to the owner to muzzle the dog, she said.

A recurring problem at many buildings, including the Radius, is dogs relieving themselves in an elevator or hallway. "Some people clean up, and some don't," Coates said. "We have janitors on site, or the front desk or concierge will usually clean it up."

If people get caught violating the pet rules, she said, they're issued a verbal warning, then a written one. If it persists, they must go before the condo board. "It's never gone that far," she said.

At the Clarendon 1021 Condominium in Arlington, a two-year-old building with 419 units, assistant general manager Melissa Rothe said management gets occasional complaints from residents about pets. "Sometimes there's barking issues, especially with new dogs or puppies."

She said management always provides literature to the cited owners on how to reduce the barking. If they don't take care of the problem, they can be fined $10 a day by the homeowners association until the matter is resolved, she said.

Even if buildings don't set limits on pets, municipalities do. The District limits residents to four pet mammals larger than guinea pigs, unless they have a hobby permit.

In Fairfax County, you can have two dogs. But you'll have to move out of the condo and get at least a 12,500-square-foot lot if you want three or four dogs. If you want a pet llama in Fairfax County, you'd better get yourself at least two acres, according to the county ordinance.

Some condo residents without pets see great benefits to having animals in the buildings.

"I just love animals, and I think it adds character to a building," said Debi Gasper, who lives at the downtown building where the woman confronted the dog owner at the planter. "The pets are so cute."

For dog owners in condos, nearby parks provide a refuge from the limited space at home, but those come with their own rules, as well. Some municipalities, including Montgomery, Prince George's and Fairfax counties, have designated dog parks, where pooches can run free without a leash.

In the District, there is only one legal dog park, in Adams Morgan, which means that in other parks police sometimes ticket owners who let their dogs run off leash.

District officials, pet owners and pet-free residents have been grappling with regulations that would allow creation of more dog parks. In the meantime, some pet owners let their dogs run free but only when children are not around. Others have been less discriminating.

"Many of us take dogs to the parks and let them run in the morning," said Sally Greenberg, a homeowner and dog lover who has been a vocal advocate for dog parks for homeowners and condo owners. "From time to time, police show up and fine people."

"The socializing of dogs is very important for dogs and people," she added. "I get together with some people that I've met through the dog parks. There have been some gatherings of dog owners to socialize and have parties with animals."

Sometimes, the conflicts go beyond residents -- at least the two-legged kind.

In Arlington, Chris Larsen, who praises the pet-friendly life at Clarendon 1021, said that not long ago, a schnauzer in his building bit his 50-pound black Labrador-springer mix, Jackie.

"We're not the litigious type," he said. "But we're not fans of those people."

Some buildings, like the Broadmoor, a cooperative on Connecticut Avenue in Cleveland Park, have figured out a way to eliminate pet-related issues with a very simple policy. "Absolutely no pets," said Broadmoor general manager Sarah Boswell.

And frankly, that would just be fine with the woman who owns that condo near 10th and L streets where she confronted the dog owner.

"It's a great building," she said. "There's a lot of camaraderie. We have parties. This is something that causes issues. If I ever buy again, I will never buy in a building that allows pets."

Staff researcher Richard Drezen contributed to this report.