If pets are allowed in an apartment, hearing a dog barking would most likely be a frequent occurrence. However, one landlord in Portland, Oregon, regretted his choice so much that he entered one of his tenants’ homes without warning and essentially kidnapped their golden retriever. The reason was allegedly that it was barking too much, and the noise was disturbing the neighbors. So, the landlord secretly took the dog while the owner was at work and handed it over to animal control. But he then had the gall to demand a ransom if the tenant wanted their dog back.
The Portland landlord said the owner had violated the lease because the pet was being a “nuisance animal,” even though pets were allowed. He left a note for the tenant on their kitchen counter that read, “You can retrieve it after paying the $500 lease violation fee. You have 72 hours before they process the animal,” threatening that the dog would be “dealt with by the county.” The renter called animal control, but was told they needed to pay any necessary fees before they could get their pet back.
“Can he legally do this? Just take my dog while I’m at work? Hold her hostage for $500?” the tenant frantically asked r/legaladvice. They explained that their golden retriever, Bailey, was an “emotional support” pet that their therapist recommended after attempting to end their life. “Bailey is the only thing keeping me stable right now. I adopted her after a suicide attempt. She’s literally the reason I’m still here,” they express.
‘Don’t Pay the Landlord’ Is What Reddit Collectively Suggests
The top commenter on the Portland tenant’s post, along with dozens of others, did their best to tell the owner that the first thing they need to do is simply go to the pound and pay any holding fees to animal control. After all, the county doesn’t care whether the landlord gets his $500. Then, they should be able to get Bailey back, but they should keep a close eye on her in the future. Getting an indoor camera to monitor the apartment would also be ideal.
One person suggests looking for a new place to live. “There’s a good chance if he knows you’re moving out that the landlord will decide it’s not worth the time to get money from you. And unfortunately the legal system is a lot better at reacting to problems than preventing them,” warns the commenter. Others add that a police report for theft is in order, since the Portland landlord took the golden retriever without any notice or warning.
While some people did argue that emotional support dogs are not on the same level of importance as service dogs, just kidnapping someone’s pet and holding it for ransom is unacceptable. As one individual properly puts it: “It would be the same as if they left their tv on high volume. Landlord can’t go in and take the tv and give it to goodwill. Dogs are property.”
