Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/57942
6A Daily News – Saturday, March 10, 2012 healthPets & SACRAMENTO (MCT) — Sonia Miller can practically hear the clock ticking as she flips through a thick stack of legal papers, her dog Bela at her side. Miller has been warned that, by the end of the month, she must leave the North Sacra- mento mobile home park where she has lived for the past three years. The reason: Bela, a burly pit bull terrier that the park manager argues is a threat to other tenants. Miller, 76, has hired a lawyer and is fighting the move, arguing that her dog is a service animal and the victim of breed discrimination. Bela, she said, is protective but not vicious, and is certified as a service animal to help her with mobility problems. "Why should she be punished for her breed?" Miller asked, as Bela held court next to her desk on a recent day at the Arden Arcade apart- ment complex she man- ages. It is happening across the country as landlords, insurers and local gov- ernments respond to con- cerns about the muscular pit bull terrier's back- ground in the under- ground fighting industry, and mounting reports of unprovoked attacks on humans and other ani- mals. Landlords increasing- ly are barring specific breeds of dogs at rental properties, and pit bulls are at the top of the list. Insurers are refusing to cover homeowners who have pit bulls, Rottweil- ers and other so-called "bully breeds," or are charging their owners higher premiums. The New York City Housing Authority, the city's largest landlord, has banned pit bulls from its dwellings, and a handful of municipalities have outlawed the dogs. Supporters of such restrictions argue they are necessary to shield the public against breeds of dogs that have been genetically programmed to be vicious. Others call the regulations unfair and discriminatory, argu- ing that the animals, if properly trained, can make fine companions. Miller, who said she depends on Bela to help brace and steady her on her creaky arthritic knees, finds herself at the center of the debate. Her mobile home park's manager, Ron SATURDAY ROUND- UP PERFORMANCE 2:30 PM 1921 ~ 2012 APRIL 20, 21, 22, 2012 NEW START TIME FOR Johnson, has told her she must leave by March 26, citing a rental contract that prohibits pit bulls and several other breeds. In documents supporting the eviction, he said Bela has intimidated tenants, and tried to attack at least one of them. Miller denies the alle- gations. "I do feel safe when she is around, but she has never bitten anyone and she's not aggressive," she said. Landlords have the right to prevent a tenant from keeping animals. But federal law gives dis- abled people the right to have service animals of any breed as long as they pose no danger to other tenants. That is the protection that Miller is counting on in an effort to keep her spot at Village Green mobile home park, a col- lection of mostly well- kept residences in a hard- scrabble North Sacra- mento neighborhood. Bela, who at 10 months old weighs about 65 pounds, is an official "companion dog," as confirmed by a certifi- cate signed by Miller's doctor. By virtue of the document, a laminated copy of which Miller carries with her every- where, Bela is allowed to accompany her owner to work and into stores and restaurants that other- wise might bar her. Under the federal Americans with Disabili- ties Act, landlords must make "reasonable accommodations" to owners of service dogs, even if a breed is banned, said Los Angeles attor- ney Robert Newman, a specialist in animal law. That's assuming, he said, that the pup in question "is of sound tempera- ment." That question is at the heart of the case involv- ing Bela. The mobile home park is "more than willing" to accommodate people like Miller and their ser- vice dogs, said Joseph Carroll, a lawyer repre- senting the community. "She's entitled to pro- tection," he said. "The problem is that this dog's behavior has been very bad. She hasn't bitten anyone yet, but her con- duct is threatening." The park has received four written complaints about Bela, including one that she barked and bared her teeth menac- ingly to children walking along a back fence, Car- roll said. She has broken loose from her leash more than once, "charg- ing" a tenant in the street, he said. In legal papers sup- porting the termination of Miller's lease, Johnson called Bela a "substantial annoyance" to other ten- ants. He gave Miller several warnings dating back to August before recently telling her she must give up Bela or vacate the property by March 26. Johnson referred queries about the matter to Car- roll. In recent days with a reporter present, Bela displayed two different roles: gentle pet and pro- tective guard dog. Inside Miller's office at the apartment complex one afternoon, she appeared calm, even sit- ting in a tenant's lap. 91ST activities Landlords banning certain 'bully breeds' Cat's limp may be from claw growing back By Jeff Kahler, D.V.M. McClatchy Newspapers Jag is a 9-year-old indoor cat who recently developed a limp in his left front leg. Tammy reports no known history of trauma, though Jag likes to perch on objects and leap to the floor. When Tammy took a close look at Jag's leg, she noticed that he seemed touchy around his toes and thought she felt a scab on one of the toes. Unfortunately, Jag allowed only one quick check. Tammy was glad Jag did not have his front claws. I have known many cats who did not like being exam- ined — at least not without anesthesia. That's why Jag will need to visit his veterinarian. Perhaps he or she will have better luck examining Jag's leg and foot. If Jag does not wish to cooperate, it may be necessary to use a light anes- thesia to allow a thorough evaluation and, if warranted, radi- ographs. MCT photo Sonia Miller, 76, is facing eviction from the trailer park where she lives in Sacramento, if he keeps her pit bull, Bela. "Bela's not mean," said Joann Estep, cuddling the dog. "She might lick you to death, but she wouldn't bite you." But the next day, at the home that Miller shares with roommate Sandy Thomas, Bela snarled and growled repeatedly at a visitor. Miller placed a muzzle on the dog, mostly to ease the visitor's con- cerns, she said. "She scares people because she's a pit bull," Miller said. "They're wonderful dogs, but they have such a poor rap." The pit bull's reputa- tion for ferocity and unpredictability has not been lost on insurers, said Jim Whittle, assis- tant general counsel of the American Insurance Association, an industry group. Whittle said dog bites are among the biggest reasons for homeowners' insurance claims, costing millions of dollars a year. "This is a breed that has been tied to fighting," he said of pit bulls. "It's not the fault of the dog, but when insurers are assess- ing risk they have to account for that." As pit bulls proliferate across the country, filling shelters and causing havoc, animal advocates including PETA are call- ing for a ban on breeding the dogs. Other groups have protested bans on pit bulls, calling them needless and discrimina- tory. Debora Bresch, senior director of government relations for the ASPCA, said such blacklists pun- ish "good" dog owners, and may cause owners of "outlawed" dogs to go into hiding. ASPCA favors "breed neutral" laws that hold individual owners accountable for the actions of their ani- mals. "In a dense housing development, the ques- tion should be 'How dis- ruptive is this individual animal to the apartment or mobile home park?' she said. When I read Tammy's letter, what struck me was that Jag has no front claws. Perhaps, when Jag had his front claws removed, there might have been some tissue left behind. This may have allowed for regrowth of part of the claw, which might then break through the skin and cause discom- fort. Perhaps that is the scab that Tammy thought she felt. Both front feet should be radiographed just in case this problem is smoldering in another toe. When a cat is declawed, a procedure known as onychec- tomy, there are two widely used techniques. One involves a cutting process where a portion of the third digit of the toe, the one containing the nail, is cut, removing the area from which the nail grows. If this growth area — the ungual crest — is not removed entirely, the nail will attempt to grow back. The second technique involves removal of the entire third digit of the toe by dissection between the second and third digit. This technique does not allow for any chance of regrowth of the nail. Incidentally, declawing is something that is much less commonly done in cats. It is an uncom- fortable procedure that can alter a cat's behavior. If Jag is regrowing a nail, he will have to have it removed. In this case, it would be recommended that the third digit be dissected away as described in the second technique I mentioned. Hopefully, there are no other digits involved, but if so, they will have to be handled at the same time. It will be important to manage Jag's pain. With prop- er, thorough pain control, this procedure should be well tol- erated and return Jag to a limp-free life. Jeff Kahler is a veterinarian in Modesto. Questions can be submitted to Your Pet in care of LifeStyles, The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto CA 95352. Animal Island: Diva at home drinks from puddles outdoors By MARC MORRONE Newsday (MCT) Q: My dachshund is very particular about her drink- ing water. When she is in the house, she will not drink out of her dish unless the water is fresh and cold. However, whenever she is outside, she has no problem drinking from any dirty puddle she encounters even though we do our best to prevent this. I cannot under- stand why she is just a diva in the house and not when she is outside. A: I am obsessive about being sure that my pets always have clean water; their dishes are on the floor, after all, and dust and dirt blow into the dishes very easily. Harmful pathogens will very quickly grow in stagnant water. Pets' dishes really need to be kept as clean as their owners' drink- ing glasses. That being said, my dogs love to drink out of puddles as well and mine are just as particular about the water in their bowls as your dog is. They paw at the bowl and nudge it around and bark at us if the water is not as clean as they want it to be at the time they want to drink. I think that they have learned that the water just tastes better after we have changed it. Outdoors, though, things are different. Notice that they rarely drink their fill out of a puddle, just take a few laps. Most likely it is the novel outdoorsy taste that appeals to them. ___ Q: We have three Labradors and they go through a lot of food each day. My husband is always looking for deals, and, whenever he can get a bag of food at a bargain, he will do so. Our dogs seem to be eating a different brand each month. I always thought that you should get a dog used to one brand or formu- la of food and keep it on that forever. Our vet says that our dogs are just fine. So what is the correct answer here? A: Well, assuming that your dog is healthy and does not need a special diet because of allergies or some other medical issue, what your husband is doing is perfectly OK. Dogs are opportunistic feeders and have evolved to eat any- thing. It is true that if a dog has been eating the same brand of food for a long time and then you change it abruptly, it may have some digestive issues, but they will go away as the dog's system gets used to the new diet. I think that it is a good idea to keep changing your dog's diet so that it gets used to eating whatever is offered. This way, if your dog ends up in a boarding facility or a vet's office unexpectedly and has to deal with a new food, it will be happy to partake of it. www.redbluffroundup.com Visit us on facebook (530) 527-1000 1-800-545-3500 Visit us at: FRIDAY FAMILY 4 PACK $30