I too know the feeling of living where I would not "choose to live" if we did not have three boxers. We ( my family is..myself, my husband, our seven yr. old son and our three boxers, one is 90 lbs. plus, our second is a rescue from Mexico a deaf white girl who is 55 lbs. and our third is an old boy that was terribly abused, who came to me as a foster, he is 65 lbs. He was so very afraid of everyone, men especially, women and even children.( mine excluded though) After a few months of fostering him I couldn't part with him. He growled at everyone that came near him and then quivered like a leaf in fear.(not our family though) but that included any children that entered our house. I was so afraid of what might happen if I placed him I decided to make him part of our family. He is a wonderful dog and cherishes our son. He now knows that I won't let anyone hurt him ever again. All that to say that we live in a dump of a house. We pay $1000 per month for having three dogs. No one else would even consider paying that kind of money to live in this little, 850 sq foot house. We do because we choose to keep our dogs as part of our family. Our choice, yes, but is it fair? No. My animals cause NO damage, none at all. If I had four human children it would be a lot easier to find a rental. Rental homes that allow animals let alone dogs, are very hard to come my. Then to have three big dogs is huge NO NO. So we live in this place that is probably considered a slum to most...but we are all together, happy, cramped, but happy. Some have suggested.... get rid of your dogs..or at least one or two! NO!! We are a family and we will stay that way.
Lesa Ibarra