Rules are made to be broken – little dog had not caused any concerns for the past 10 years! – Why now?
Woman and pet dog offered new leash on life
New Pet-friendly home eyed by Natasha Nicole
BY KELLY SINOSKI, VANCOUVER SUN AUGUST 21, 2010
A Vancouver woman threatened with eviction from her social housing unit because she has a dog was given a break Friday when housing officials said they would transfer her to a new home that allows pets.
Until then, Natasha Nicole, 59, said she was told she can remain in her unit at Seymour Place, where she has lived for nearly 10 years, first with her Shih Tzu, Rajii, and now her Maltesepoodle cross, Oliver.
Nicole, who has doctors’ notes saying a pet is necessary for her mental health, said she was elated to get a call from Bob Nicklin, CEO of Affordable Housing Societies, which runs Seymour Place.
“He’s going to transfer me to a building that’s wheelchair and pet-friendly and he said I could stay here until they found me a place, even if it’s a year,” Nicole said. “They’re actually going to find a place for me so I don’t have to get rid of the dog and wait five to seven years for a place with BC Housing when I’m too old to start with a new puppy or too heartbroken to care.”
Nicole said as soon as she heard from Nicklin, she could breathe easier. The woman, who suffers from several ailments and uses a wheelchair, said her dog is all the family she has and it keeps her alive.
She had been allowed to keep a pet at her unit for nearly 10 years, she said, because the manager was sympathetic. But when she was offered a new, bigger unit, and admitted to housing officials she had a dog, she was threatened with eviction.
Nicklin told The Vancouver Sun on Thursday his organization has a no-pets policy and that Nicole was in breach of her tenancy agreement. But he added that the society would be willing to work with her to find a solution.
He declined to comment Friday on moving Nicole to a new home, saying any discussions with her were confidential. “We do have certain policies but we can usually find solutions,” he said.
The solution suits Nicole just fine. “As soon as I felt like I was safe I felt like I could breathe,” she said. “I don’t care if I live in a four-by-four cell as long as I have my recliner to sleep in and my puppy. He’s my baby.”
ksinoski@vancouversun.com
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