Pet Culture Resource |
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Land Stewardship Team
Revised 09/25/21
(Note: this document primarily addresses pets in the cluster, such as dogs and cats. Agreements or Guidelines 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 overly burdensome 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 free roaming pets, these tensions are likely to cycle through as new pets and/or new members enter the community. However, we actively seek 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/guidelines 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
Cats are a welcome part of the fabric of Heartwood Cohousing. There are differing opinions on expectations regarding outdoor vs. indoor cats. The key to success with outdoor cats lies in responsible pet ownership.
Since it can be difficult to manage cat behavior as they are not usually trainable like dogs, it is requested that owners of free roaming cats be open to feedback from neighbors related to their cat’s behavior in the community setting, especially when their cat is causing problems for others.
Property owners have a right to discourage free roaming cats on their property when causing problems (bird hunting as an example) by non-harmful means such as spraying them with water, or chasing them off.
Other considerations with regard to cats:
Dogs
There have been a number of emotionally-charged issues regarding dogs that have escalated to the community level. Some issues have involved incidents of dog aggression towards people or other animals. 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/guidelines 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, potlucks and other planned meal events; and poop patrol areas (private yards and common spaces) assigned to owners of all free-roaming dogs. In February of 2020, a Performance Remediation Plan was instituted by the LST that outlines consequences for specific dog and dog owner infractions of our agreements.
In general, we understand that 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. LST and the group attempting to qualify and quantify terms of dog ownership at Heartwood are well aware that there is no actual way to completely control the behavior of a dog, no matter how well trained, and every incident will need to be handled to the best and highest degree possible based upon the particular circumstances.
Revised 09/25/21
(Note: this document primarily addresses pets in the cluster, such as dogs and cats. Agreements or Guidelines 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 overly burdensome 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 free roaming pets, these tensions are likely to cycle through as new pets and/or new members enter the community. However, we actively seek 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/guidelines 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
Cats are a welcome part of the fabric of Heartwood Cohousing. There are differing opinions on expectations regarding outdoor vs. indoor cats. The key to success with outdoor cats lies in responsible pet ownership.
Since it can be difficult to manage cat behavior as they are not usually trainable like dogs, it is requested that owners of free roaming cats be open to feedback from neighbors related to their cat’s behavior in the community setting, especially when their cat is causing problems for others.
Property owners have a right to discourage free roaming cats on their property when causing problems (bird hunting as an example) by non-harmful means such as spraying them with water, or chasing them off.
Other considerations with regard to cats:
- Research has shown that the presence of bird feeders creates a place which also attracts cats to hunt the birds who come to feed. Residents who choose to have bird feeders on their property should be aware of possible consequences which include birds becoming easy prey there.
- It is advised that cats be spayed or neutered before allowing them to free range.
- Up to date rabies vaccinations are required by law and are also required by Heartwood. Feline leukemia immunization is strongly suggested.
Dogs
There have been a number of emotionally-charged issues regarding dogs that have escalated to the community level. Some issues have involved incidents of dog aggression towards people or other animals. 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/guidelines 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, potlucks and other planned meal events; and poop patrol areas (private yards and common spaces) assigned to owners of all free-roaming dogs. In February of 2020, a Performance Remediation Plan was instituted by the LST that outlines consequences for specific dog and dog owner infractions of our agreements.
In general, we understand that 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. LST and the group attempting to qualify and quantify terms of dog ownership at Heartwood are well aware that there is no actual way to completely control the behavior of a dog, no matter how well trained, and every incident will need to be handled to the best and highest degree possible based upon the particular circumstances.