HEARTWOOD COHOUSING - WHO WE ARE
Pet Culture
09/30/05
(Note: this document primarily addresses pets in the cluster, such as dogs and cats. Agreements about agricultural pets and animals such as horses, cows, etc. fall under the domain of the Pasture & Ag team.)
From its inception, Heartwood has been a community that has supported, allowed, and been tolerant of pets and pet ownership. The Land Stewardship Team (LST) is responsible for the pet agreement, which encourages “good conscience in all of our agricultural and pet ownership practices” without specifying rules about pet behavior or ownership practices. The cluster is an open neighborhood with few fences between homes. In general, Heartwood members choose to, and are expected to, deal with any issues about pets in accordance with our Interpersonal Agreements. At this time, Heartwood pets live in a range of situations, including indoor cats, outdoor cats, free-roaming dogs, dogs who are always leashed, and dogs who are fenced.
Heartwood, like many other communities, has experienced periods of tension around the issue of pet behavior and pet owner responsibility. We recognize that as a community that allows pets, these tensions are likely to cycle through as new pets and/or new members enter the community. However, we are actively seeking ways to reduce this tension by examining and thereby increasing our awareness of the needs and expectations of our members, tracking pet issues through a system called PBITS, and creating “rules” and/or agreements where appropriate to relieve specific concerns. Following is a more detailed description of the history and current situation regarding cats and dogs at Heartwood.
Cats
There have been no formally-recognized community-level problems regarding cats. All current outdoor cats have established among themselves their territories, and all have figured out how to co-exist with the community dogs and the wild coyotes. Some members have personally expressed concern about the impact of cats on wild birds. At this time, there are no rules regarding the behavior of outdoor cats.
Dogs
There have been a number of emotionally-charged issues regarding dogs that have escalated to the community level. One dog who was aggressive toward cats was eventually relocated to a home outside of the community. Another dog who was aggressive toward people, including incidents of nipping and charging, was not relocated but is required to be on a leash at all times when in or near the cluster and wear a muzzle when off leash outside the cluster on Heartwood land. Other tension has arisen on the multiple occasions of new puppies being brought into the community. Puppy behavior such as barking, jumping up, and running through private yards without an owner immediately present to intervene, has stretched the tolerance of some members, resulting in emotional tension felt at the community level.
Measures taken to mediate these concerns have included: following the community process of conflict resolution; providing forums for voicing concerns, such as Meetings of the Hearts and Community Meetings; forming a dog-owners group to proactively address concerns and effect solutions; and implementing some specific agreements that pertain to free-roaming dogs. Some of the agreements currently in practice include: quiet hours from 10pm to 7am during which dogs must be accompanied outside by owners and prevented from barking; dogs at home during common meals (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6:30-7:30pm); and poop patrol areas (private yards and common spaces) assigned to owners of all free-roaming dogs.
In general, community dog-tolerance encompasses a wide range, from members who would prefer not to interact with dogs at all, to members who appreciate well-supervised and/or restrained dogs, to members who enjoy the ambiance of non-aggressive dogs roaming free in a safe environment. Issues about dogs that have been identified as requiring additional conversation and/or agreements include: requirements for visiting dogs; protocols for introducing new dogs to the community; restrictions on dog roaming privileges; aggressive behavior identification and consequences; and spay/neuter requirements for resident dogs.