Alex Thomas
Robert Brady has until January 11 to give up his emotional support dog before the condominium where he lives in Orlando takes action.
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Brady is a veteran and a widower, and he insists that his 4-year-old dog, Bane, is a huge part of his life, telling the Orlando Sentinel, “He keeps my mind off the war and everything. He’s just a wonderful companion.” But the condominium, Orange Tree Village, has a 35-pound weight limit on pets and Bane hovers just above 40 pounds.
Veteran must surrender emotional support dog https://t.co/ODZ9kCK8mh pic.twitter.com/NxO4w2WCdj
— Orlando Sentinel (@orlandosentinel) December 23, 2017
The 70-year-old Floridian has tried to fight back against the condo’s rule but hasn’t made much progress, and on Dec. 12, the housing complex won an arbitration order forcing Brady to give up Bane. The Vietnam veteran has fought hard to keep his dog, saying, “My life would be lost without a good companion, and that’s why I’m doing all I can to keep from having to get rid of him.”
Unlike service animals that undergo training, the legal definition of a support animal is a lot looser. An attorney who represents condominiums and housing complexes told the Orlando Sentinel that sometimes landlords can be “mean-spirited” but noted that sometimes tenants push the boundaries, explaining, “Every pet that needs to go suddenly morphs into an emotional support animal. It’s the same old routine.” She did admit that many of the weight restrictions against pets are “antiquated.”
The condominium where Brady lives has been watching Bane’s weight for the past year,, and the widower says that he’s been trying to serve his dog lean food but added that he doesn’t want to starve Bane just to appease the condominium.
Brady says that his dog, who is a mixed breed, has never caused any trouble at the condominium other than barking. And, the condo’s lawyer admitted that, while Brady is a sympathetic character, if unenforced, the condo’s rules are meaningless.
