ESA issue

[Colleen27]

Ugh, I feel for you. This is a terrible situation waiting to happen - huskies are, as has been stated upthread, very high maintenance dogs. We had a husky-lab mix that we ultimately had to rehome because he could break chains rated for twice his weight, clear our 4' fence like it was a crack in the sidewalk, and even 2-3 walks/runs a day in a family with 3 active kids and a decent-sized yard wasn't enough to curb the impulse to run. He could be destructive when bored, up to and including tearing apart parts of his crate, and very very vocal when unhappy about being crated. He's the only dog I've ever had to give up, but after three incidents of him breaking out of our yard and finding him as much as a mile and a half from the house, we had to find him a family with acreage and more time for his own safety (he's now a farm dog on a 150-acre hobby farm/hunting property, and seems very happy!).

I think looking into the possibilities for getting out of the lease is probably your daughter's best option. But make sure whatever "out" she takes is a clean break, because that dog is probably going to do damage that the landlord will be charging the whole group of them for when they move out.

 

[Pumbaa_]

I love your he‘s on a farm story Colleen. I would never own one. We are on our 5&6 dogs currently. My requirement was nothing smarter than me, small and lazy.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It could be too late by then for this dog.

As in:


Isn't the first several months crucial for socializing & training dogs? If it's left alone a lot, it may develop an anxious personality. It needs to be handled a lot to know how to behave around humans, like being able to be petted. It needs to learn that it is not the Alpha of the pack. (Aren't huskies more a pack dog than other breeds?) And it could have house training problems for life, if not properly trained when young.

Good beginnings can only help a dog become well adjusted. It’s not that a bad start can’t ever be overcome, but it can make that job much harder. Of course some dogs can be very traumatized, and others who have been through bad experiences seem to do ok. (And some dogs who have good starts can turn out not so well, so it varies depending on a lot of factors.)

But it’s like with a baby, you have this fresh lump of life you’re responsible for, wouldn’t you want to do everything possible to give it a great start in life? That includes being placed with the right people, in the right situation. This just seems like a bad idea, especially because of the breed and the fact that it’s being coerced onto other people. That’s just not a good start. I feel so bad for this dog, and for the roommates.

 

[monsterkitty]

OP, does your DD have Renter's Insurance? If the puppy destroys any of your DD's belongings, she could tell the roommate to pay up or she could then submit the claim to her insurance (make sure the insurance would cover this). The insurance company would then go after the roommate.

If she doesn't have insurance, have her get it no matter what. Our apartment was destroyed by water from the apartment above us and we did not have insurance. I was a music major and I had 100s of dollars worth of music destroyed.

 

[Colleen27]

I love your he‘s on a farm story Colleen. I would never own one. We are on our 5&6 dogs currently. My requirement was nothing smarter than me, small and lazy.

I'm used to high-energy and smarter than me - we currently have a border collie mix, and we've had several lab mixes over the years. But that husky defeated me. I just couldn't figure out how to make him a happy homebody like our other dogs have been. The kids think it is funny that, for Junior, "going to live on a farm" wasn't a euphemism, though, and since he went to live with a good friend's father, they get to play with him every now and then when we're out that way.

 

[TeresaBelle]

Yep, and I can't imagine a responsible breeder allowing this girl to have one.

DD says the breeder is a friend of the roommate!

 

[TeresaBelle]

OP, does your DD have Renter's Insurance? If the puppy destroys any of your DD's belongings, she could tell the roommate to pay up or she could then submit the claim to her insurance (make sure the insurance would cover this). The insurance company would then go after the roommate.

If she doesn't have insurance, have her get it no matter what. Our apartment was destroyed by water from the apartment above us and we did not have insurance. I was a music major and I had 100s of dollars worth of music destroyed.

She doesn't but I will look into getting this.

She went back to her apartment on Sunday to take down her Christmas tree and bring it and some other stuff home. Including her couch from the living room. It's borrowed from a family member and we don't want to risk it being destroyed!

 

[Jennasis]

Huskie are also crazy shedders. There will be dog hair everywhere.

What's the penalty for breaking the lease? I'd be looking into getting out of Dodge.

 

[kaytieeldr]

She doesn't but I will look into getting this.

Sadly, probably pointless https://www.valuepenguin.com/pet-liability-renters-insurance, especially, "Moreover, if damage is caused by your pet to your own personal belongings, your insurance will not cover you." and https://www.valuepenguin.com/homeowners-insurance-restricted-dog-breeds - where one of the excluded breeds is Siberian Husky.

 

[monsterkitty]

Sadly, probably pointless https://www.valuepenguin.com/pet-liability-renters-insurance, especially, "Moreover, if damage is caused by your pet to your own personal belongings, your insurance will not cover you." and https://www.valuepenguin.com/homeowners-insurance-restricted-dog-breeds - where one of the excluded breeds is Siberian Husky.

I was thinking that might be the case, but since it's not her dog would her belongings be covered?

 

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

Every husky I've ever known just LOVES to howl. These girls may all end up being evicted because of the noise!

 

[LSUmiss]

Are you sure a bison is smaller than a Husky? Yes, I'm sure that's an auto"correct" from Bijon. It's just funny.

I actually think y’all all meant Bichon.

 

[Imzadi]

I actually think y’all all meant Bichon.

Maybe this is what happened to the OP's DD' roommate too? She actually meant to get a nice, small, Bichon Frise but couldn't figure out how to spell it. She could spell "husky" so that's what she's getting.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

So many people want Huskies! Did anyone see the story yesterday of a man who was walking this beautiful blue-eyed Husky puppy, probably around 12 weeks old, and a car pulled up and stole the dog from him at gunpoint?? Crazy. (And praying that they find him.) I know other people who want them who have no dog experience. I think they just think they're beautiful (and they are!) but they don't understand what it's like to live with one. DH's family had one when I met him. She was a bit of an anomaly, was sort of a sweet, overweight couch potato. But most of the other Huskies I've known have been muscular, busy dogs. I guess their popularity stems from some of the same things other dogs' popularity stems from - movies, TV shows, classic books and social media. Aren't there one or two movies out now that feature Huskies in them?

 

[kaytieeldr]

I actually think y’all all meant Bichon.

You say Bison, I say Bijon.
You say Bichon, I say Bacon .
Bacon! Bichon! Bijon! Bison!
Let's call the whole thing off!

Seriously, whatever you call it, it's be a better ESA than a Husky!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Maybe this is what happened to the OP's DD' roommate too? She actually meant to get a nice, small, Bichon Frise but couldn't figure out how to spell it. She could spell "husky" so that's what she's getting.

So she couldn't get a Maltese? Or a Pom(eranian)? I mean, I can almost see not being able to spell Shih Tzu, but...

 

[Disneybuckeye]

The other problem with breaking the lease (as I agree most college leases are individual and you are still on the hook if you walk out) is finding another place to live in the middle of the school year.

OP unfortunately your daughter is probably stuck. I am glad she brought her couch home. She needs to make sure her stuff is always in her room with the door shut. I would also encourage her to study at campus libraries and spend as much time as she can out of the apartment.

On the bright side it is only for probably five months so hopefully the time flies by. I am sorry this happened to her as I am sure it is extremely frustrating.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I was thinking that might be the case, but since it's not her dog would her belongings be covered?

You'd have to talk to an insurance agent, but they probably have one lease signed by all of them (instead of individual leases and being placed in that unit by the landlord), so the dog would be legally considered all of theirs.


But I'm not a landlord or a lawyer. These are all just what I think. Um, does anybody have a life-threatening dog allergy?

 

[Jennasis]

Huskies and Dalmatians suffer from a PR problem. Movies, television and books have romanticized the breed. The reality of these dogs is FAR from what Disney would have you believe. We had a dalmatian when I was in high school. Our vet freaked out when we brought him in for puppy shots, chastising us for buying the dog when we have small children in the house and neighborhood. We had no idea dals were known to be territorial and aggressive (luckily ours wasn't). The vet eventually grew to love our guy. But every dal I've ever known since then was a bit of a monster (have a friend whose dog bit her husbands lip OFF). The huskies I know are hyper, loud, shed-crazy balls of energy.

 

[lil mermaid]

I feel sad for all involved. I might consider consulting an attorney to see what our rights are since your daughter (and the others) are being coerced.

Same. I feel for all involved, including the poor puppy who will likely end up being rehomed.