2nd letter to Mike DeWine governor of Ohio
To Governor Mike DeWine,
A follow-up to the last communication regarding a state law allowing pitbulls and other fighting dog breeds in senior residences, just because they fall under the auspices of HUD.
Just today the building was all abuzz with two more recent attacks by pitbulls on small dogs who live in the building. I met one of those dogs today.
People are afraid and feel they have no recourse. The office is well aware as shown by a September Update regarding pitbulls at National Church Residences.
I’m quoting a notice posted since there’s no mechanism here to include an image of it.
“SEPTEMBER UPDATES
PITBULLS: REPEATED NOTICES HAVE GONE OUT. If your pitbull is not muzzled when you are in the public areas of Kirby Manor, interior or exterior you are violating State law and Kirby Manor lease agreements and you will be evicted. You even risk your animal being maced as residents defend themselves and their pets. Be safe, buy the muzzle TODAY! Last sound off before eviction!”
One of the pitbulls who allegedly attacked a small dog got out when the apartment door was allegedly open. So you can see that muzzling a dog is not enough, since people don’t muzzle inside their apartments.
Threats of eviction or even eviction isn’t going to solve the problem, since a person can have three violations before that happens.
National Church Residences acknowledges the problem via that SEPTEMBER UPDATE.
Why should senior citizens have to protect themselves and their dogs with mace and other means each time they leave their apartment with their dog? It makes no sense.
There needs to be a means to amend the current law to exclude senior residences from having to allow pitbulls and other bred to fight dogs in the facility. Just the fact that most residents use wheelchairs, walkers and canes to get around should red flag seniors as not being able to cope with defending themselves and their dogs against attack when they occur. Could you defend yourself against an attack by a fighter dog? If you were in a wheelchair? Or using a walker while walking your dog?
Everybody thinks they have total control over their dog until they don’t. There have been four incidences in the last month, since the new influx of tenants. Many obviously are seeking to rent here because they now allow pitbulls.
Please find a way to address this issue without putting all of the responsibility on the potential victims.
This new pitbull allowance was not in place when the overwhelming majority of people rented apartments here. One cannot expect them all to move to new facilities to stay safe. It isn’t right.
Seniors deserve a better life in old age than the state is willing to let them have. Why put them and their small pets in danger whereby they have to protect themselves against attack every time they leave their homes. Yes, these apartments are their homes and the hallways their streets and they risk injury and even death every time they walk out of their apartment with their dog, or without their dog.
Please put in motion the mechanism to amend the current state law which allows pitbulls in public housing to rescind that allowance in senior residence facilities. It shouldn’t be difficult. A provision should have been included in that law in the first place to exclude senior properties that are also under the umbrella of HUD.
Thank you for you attention to this matter. I have notified concerned tenants that I’m reporting these issues to the governor and they were optimistic. Please don’t let them down and please don’t wait until there is a horror story to tell. Let’s put out this fire before it gets out of control.
Thank you again for your attention to this matter,
THE SENIORS NEED YOU on this one!
Sharon Davies-Tight, tenant at Kirby Manor National Church Residences
HAPPY WHITE HORSE™© 