Dog friendly
When it came time to start looking for a place to live in California, I started my search with Zillow. I searched Orange County, CA, selected "in-unit laundry" as a must, and clicked the search button.
Results? 504. I settled in my seat and prepared for a lengthy looksie.
Oops. I forgot to also check off "pets allowed" - so I did. (SN: I think Zillow should change that to 'pets welcome')
Results? 190. The number of available properties went significantly down...and the lowest rent cost shot up.
And, it's not just Orange County - I know this. It's everywhere. And, while part of me thinks dogs should be allowed anywhere, because they make most people happy and are just plain awesome - I also know there are exceptions. And, naughty owners. Because, the more I thought about it, I realized it's never the dog's fault. That's like blaming kids for being jerky brats. How'd they get like that? Parents.
Narrowing our search down to the handful of neighborhoods we wanted to live in, our search results lessened even more. So, I went back to square one and searched without checking off "pets allowed" - reading the description of properties we'd be interested in, to see what they mention - if anything - about pets. And, some stated "pets considered" in the paragraph. That's the key, I thought, it's not the dog - they want to know that WE are responsible, respectable pet owners. We don't have to sell our pup as much as we have to sell ourselves.
I welcomed the challenge.
When it came to submitting an application to a property we were interested in, before I could suggest it to our realtor, he beat me to it.
"Can you send me a photo and description of your dog?"
Oh, CAN I.
I drafted a lovely paragraph of Moxie, and included two (I couldn't choose!) photos. I highlighted the fact that she's a rescue, extremely polite, groomed, and well-behaved/trained. I also included that she's not a barker - in fact, "she is the dog that silently ignores/walks by other dogs if they bark at her!" Of course, I think it helped that she's not a large-breed dog, but hey - I've seen some Yorkies really tear up a carpet.
We sent off Moxie's Match.com-esque profile, and waited. The next day, we got the call that we got it.
And, when we got back home - Moxie got a very special treat.