{"id":34441,"date":"2026-06-03T08:18:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T12:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yiddishecup.com\/blog\/?p=34441"},"modified":"2026-06-03T08:19:24","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T12:19:24","slug":"who-let-the-dogs-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.yiddishecup.com\/blog\/2026\/06\/03\/who-let-the-dogs-in\/","title":{"rendered":"WHO LET THE DOGS IN?"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

(This op-ed, below, was in the <\/em>Wall Street Journal last week.The op-ed generated 880 comments. Struck a chord.)<\/em><\/p>\n

I have a no-dogs policy. I\u2019m a landlord. When I bought the building in Lakewood, Ohio, decades ago, a gigantic Doberman lived in apartment 400. It bounded down the stairs and almost ran me over. Also, the dog stained the oak floors by regularly urinating in the living room.<\/p>\n

So I kicked the dog out, and the tenant, and instituted a new policy. (Cats are OK at an additional $20 a month.)<\/p>\n

\n

Yet I do have dogs in the building\u2014\u201cemotional support animals.\u201d These aren\u2019t trained service animals like those that help the blind. Tenants find a licensed social worker or psychologist to write a letter saying the animal is needed for their mental health. The Fair Housing Amendments Act obligates the landlord to offer \u201creasonable accommodations\u201d to tenants with disabilities, emotional and otherwise.<\/p>\n

Last month a new tenant informed me she has two emotional-support dogs. She brought this up after she had already moved in. She described the dogs as \u201cmixed-breeds, about 20 pounds each.\u201d I immediately fantasized about changing my no-dog policy to \u201csecond dogs are OK\u2014at $500 a month.\u201d That would slow the pooch parade. But it would be illegal.<\/p>\n

The tenant texted me that Daisy and Miu \u201care bonded and separating them would cause distress that would negatively impact my condition.\u201d The dogs\u2019 owner also pointed out: \u201cMy apartment is approximately 700 square feet, which is sufficient space for their size and needs.\u201d My tenant had done her homework. More than I had. I didn\u2019t know you could have two emotional-support dogs in a one-bedroom. How about three dogs?<\/p>\n

The tenant said each dog has a unique function: \u201cOne assists me with daily functioning and provides support when I leave home, whereas the other helps reduce anxiety and provides a sense of safety and stability within my home environment, particularly following a past traumatic experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tenant works in a restaurant, but everybody is a lawyer on the side, courtesy of AI.<\/p>\n

If the dogs aren\u2019t quiet, I\u2019ll have to file an eviction for \u201cdisrupting the neighbors\u2019 peaceful enjoyment of the premises.\u201d What a hassle.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m hoping the dogs are reasonable. The tenant isn’t.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

The link (no paywall) to the actual WSJ article, with comments, is here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

—<\/p>\n

Yiddishe Cup plays a free concert 7 pm Sunday, June 28, at the Alma Theater, Cain Park, Cleveland Heights, Ohio.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Steven Greenman & His Violin, plus some sidemen, 1992<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  (This op-ed, below, was in the Wall Street Journal last week.The op-ed generated 880 comments. Struck a chord.) I have a no-dogs policy. I\u2019m a landlord. When I bought the building in Lakewood, Ohio, decades ago, a gigantic Doberman lived in apartment 400. It bounded down the stairs and almost ran me over. Also, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-miscellaneous"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.yiddishecup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.yiddishecup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.yiddishecup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.yiddishecup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.yiddishecup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34441"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/www.yiddishecup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34441\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34449,"href":"http:\/\/www.yiddishecup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34441\/revisions\/34449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.yiddishecup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.yiddishecup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.yiddishecup.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}