Moving When a Family Member is Four-Legged

Lately, I've been having to deal with many "grown-up" financial issues that have baffled professionals. My husband and I had a lovely time trying to do our taxes (which are thankfully done now) due to issues with unemployment, independent contracting, and what to do when your company is shut down and doesn't actually send you a W-2...all compounded by the fact that I'm going to grad school soon and I need financial aid!

So, it's oh-so-convenient that we also need to move right now. 

Steven and I moved in together into our current apartment in late April/early May of 2012, and had only been here for about a month when our four-legged bundle of joy came bounding out of a parking lot and into our lives. Luckily, neither of us were thinking rationally when we found him, so we brushed off thoughts of the challenges of apartment living with Apple in anticipation of getting a place with a yard as soon as our lease was up...11 months later.

Well, our lease is up very soon, and we had to put in 60 days notice...which of course means that we put in the notice well before we had a place secured. Before we put in the notice, we contacted a locator that we thought we could trust, who told us that we would start a thorough search in late March.

Then, late March came, and he hadn't responded to our emails...

When he finally did contact us, he was really stand-offish and sent us four properties...but only one would actually accommodate our dog. The others required the dog to be under 35 or even 20 pounds! 

That's when I realized this wouldn't be easy. 

We started a search on our own and came across a house in Southeast Austin that we really liked, so we emailed the locator, and when he didn't respond, we called the realtor who was listing the house. He told us that he would accommodate a 70 pound dog, but then he asked his age...at only 14 months, the realtor wouldn't take him. He said he wouldn't accept a puppy.

It was difficult to realize just how hard this moving process would be. Obviously, we can't stay here because we already put in our notice. We are moving for Apple, not for ourselves, and the landlords don't want to take him. We gave him a home, but we still need someone to look at our big puppy and be willing to give us a HOUSE. 

However, it gets better. We found an agent who responds very quickly to us and is taking us out to see some properties tomorrow. I really hope that we can apply for one after we see them! She checked in advance to make sure they would take Apple, so everything should be okay on that front.

The moral of this story is that apartment living with a dog is hard, but trying to find a rental home for your dog is MUCH harder! Most apartments accept dogs, while houses don't, because the landlords are individuals who don't want to have to deal with the liability that a dog brings. (Hey, kids can destroy homes, too.) Dog ownership in a good home environment seems to be limited to those who can afford to buy a house...just another issue of doggie social justice that favors wealthy dog parents who have the credit and stability to be accepted for a mortgage. It's simply not an option for us.

I personally think that people who provide good homes for their dogs (and treat them like children) should be able to claim them as a "dependent pet" on their tax returns. Obviously, the deduction would be less than for a child, but if you could provide documentation of regular vet appointments, training, health, etc, you could claim them. It would probably help get dogs out of shelters! But maybe it would invite too much more bureaucracy into our lives.

I guess I just have to accept that I have to pay taxes and that moving is hard. The joys of being an adult.

I'll make sure to keep this series running, as we are sure to encounter more challenges along the way of moving with Apple in tow! (Packing will be FUN)

We're a great family! Please give us a home!

 

Doggies of Silicon Valley

I had Apple's name picked out years before he ever came into my life. Apple is named after the dog I grew up with, a Cocker Spaniel named Macintosh who was named after the computer. After she died, I said that the first dog I would get as an adult would be black and I would name him Apple.

Even though Apple is much bigger than Mac was, he has always reminded me of her. So, when I was visiting my family in Victoria over spring break, I collected some pictures of Mac to post on the blog and compare to Apple.

Mac giving me a kiss!

Apple about to give me a kiss!

I love this picture of me and Mac in the grass. Her face looks so much like Apple!

Apple chewing on something on the ground

Mac helping me sniff out Easter eggs

Apple is on the trail!

Mac sneaking around the snack table...

Apple loves to be near the table

Mac and my cat Shadow (best friends) checking in on Flopsie the bunny

Apple loves to check on the mice!

Mac in her old age with my younger brother Rhett

New Pope Takes the Name of the Patron of Animals!

I was fortunate enough to come home from a fun hiking trip with Apple to witness the live coverage of the election of the new Pope! I am a Catholic and I am very pleased so far with the new selection, as I prioritize love and compassion and respect for all people in my personal faith, and the new Pope is the first from Latin America, a very humble man who has been described as a "man of the poor."

While this might not seem related to dogs in any way, many newscasters have been pointing to his selection of a name--Francis I, as very telling of his humble and loving spirit.

St. Francis is best known as the Patron Saint of Animals. He called for "simplicity of life, poverty, and humility before God." He worked to care for the poor and lepers, who were outcast from society. He cared for the vulnerable in society, and that care was not limited to humans, but given to animals and nature as well. 

I think this quote speaks to St. Francis' love of all creatures:

"Not to hurt the creatures brethren is our first duty to them,

but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission -

to be of service to them wherever they require it."

Saint Francis

Many churches will hold blessings of animals on October 4, St. Francis' feast day. Apple got blessed at St. Ed's very first blessing of the animals in October!

Apple at the blessing ceremony

This is the first Pope to be from the "New World," the first from Latin America, and the first to ever take the name of the beloved patron of animals, St. Francis of Assisi.

Apple's First Haircut!

Yesterday, Steven and I finally gave Apple a much-needed haircut! 

Apple's coat had gotten pretty disgusting. Because he is (basically) a Labradoodle, he doesn't shed his coat, and it continues to grow even longer. In the 9 1/2 months that we have had Apple, we have never had him groomed outside of bathing him and brushing him ourselves. Lately, his long curls started turning into dreadlocks, and they could not be brushed out, so I knew a haircut was unavoidable.

See those nasty dreadlocks on his legs?

Experts and breeders suggest that Labradoodles be professionally groomed every 4-6 weeks. Topics like this make me feel guilty and sad, because we simply cannot afford that kind of lifestyle for our dog. It would cost $70-$100 to have Apple groomed only once, which would have been an investment for us. Luckily for us, Steven's dad has his own do-it-yourself dog clippers, which we used to groom Apple ourselves for free!

I was afraid to groom Apple myself for a few reasons. I didn't know if he would sit still, or if it would be hard, or if his coat would look terrible when I was done. Luckily, Apple was very good and did exactly what I needed him to do! His coat did look a little choppy right after I was done, but after I bathed him, it was much less obvious.

He looks a little choppy, but he feels really nice!

 He is so much softer now and I am sure that he feels better as well.  I didn't realize that Apple is at the stage in life where he is losing his puppy coat, so it was really important to groom him and get rid of the dead coat! I hope to keep up with brushing more often to prevent him from getting matted, but I know it will be a while before we clip him again for a few reasons: his hair is so short now that it needs time to grow out, and my amateur grooming is really for starting over, not for maintaining a longer coat. I realize that Apple will not look like a "breed standard" Labradoodle, but that is okay with me.

I plan on posting more about the challenges of raising a dog in a difficult financial situation, although it is a hard topic to address. Although Apple doesn't have all of the things a dog in a wealthy family might, he is definitely in a home full of love and attention, and I like to think that is what matters the most!