Fish As Service Animals...
By twoey68
@twoey68 (13627)
United States
March 26, 2010 8:04am CST
Have you ever had one of those “HUH?” moments? I had one yesterday. I went up to the managers office to turn in our re-cert. papers (their for renewing our lease) and while we were talking, she says, “I didn’t know fish were service animals.” I guess I had a dumbfounded look on my face b/c she repeats herself. I said “Our fish?” She tells me that the apartment owners were asking her about our fish (we have a 55 gallon tank with 3 pleco in it) and they weren’t aware that fish were service animals. I told her they weren’t…their pets. Then she tells me that we’re not allowed pets. So, I explain that when we moved in 4 years ago that our lease said we were able to have a fishtank as long as it wasn’t bigger than 10 gallons. Well, the manager at that time (a different woman) said we could keep the 55-gallon as long as we had insurance in case it broke. Well, we already had insurance for our waterbed so not a problem. Anyways, I told the manager that it really didn’t matter b/c we were getting rid of the fishtank. She seemed really surprised about the fishtank thing in the lease and said she was looking it up LOL
Then she asked me about Morgana and whether she was a service animal and again I told her no, she’s our pet. However, there is a note from my doctor in our file stating that she is necessary for my emotional well being. She says Oh, Ok and leaves it at that. I was really surprised that the owners even knew about our fish since they have never been here. At least it’s a reason to get my Mom going on getting a place for the tank since she wants it.
BTW, this is not our tank but a pic of one I found online.
Have you ever heard of fish as service animals? What’s the most bizarre service animal you’ve ever heard of? Have you ever had a manager or landlord try to change your lease up after you’ve been there a long time?
[b]**AT PEACE WITHIN**
~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~[/b]
5 people like this
9 responses
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
26 Mar 10
Many years ago, Trinity College, Cambridge had a rule for students which said that 'no cats or dogs were to be kept in students' rooms'. I think that, actually, it read 'no cats, dogs or chickens', because many a penniless student enjoyed having a fresh egg for breakfast!
When Lord Byron (the poet) was up at Cambridge he was a student at Trinity and, being a stickler for the rules, he decided to keep a bear as a pet (I presume that he had rescued it from a dreadful existence as a street performer when 'dancing' bears and monkeys were often a money-spinner for vagabonds because they attracted a crowd.)
In fact, Lord Byron's bear had an eye impediment which made each eye appear to look in a different direction, so he named it 'Gladly' after the first line of the well-known hymn, 'Gladly my cross I'd bear'.
Of course, the college authorities objected but there was nothing they could do about it because nowhere was it mentioned that students should not keep bears in their rooms! I forget now whether the rule was amended the next year or after three years, when Lord Byron graduated but he got to keep his bear for a bit and it is rumoured that the rules for many years read that 'Students shall not keep cats, dogs, chickens or bears in their rooms'. I believe that they now forbid any pets at all ... though whether a fish is counted as a pet or an ornament, I do not know.
3 people like this
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
26 Mar 10
Maybe the Lord didn't want you to bear that particular cross, GardenGerty. He generally knows best what we are destined for in this life and, had you bought that camping lodge/convenience store, you might not have been here to respond to people's discussions!
Lord Byron was quite a lad when he was at college, by all accounts. There is a mill pool on the river just out of Cambridge which is named after him. It is to be presumed that he bathed there (and so did Rupert Brooke, who lived close by). Of course, in them days there was nothing so sophisticated as 'bathing costumes'.
@GardenGerty (157661)
• United States
26 Mar 10
Makes me very fond of Lord Byron. I wanted to buy (just dreaming) a camping lodge, convenience store at a local lake and name it "The Cross Eyed Bear", alas, I did not even have the money to dream about the facility that was for sale at a local lake.
1 person likes this
@gewcew23 (8007)
• United States
26 Mar 10
I cannot see too many applications were a fish could be used as a service animal. I do not see what the problem is. You have insurance just in case the aquarium breaks. If there is water damage your insurance will cover, the apartment owners will not have to pay a dime. It almost sounds like your apartment manager has been in your apartment, how else would she have know about your fish.
I am sure a cat could be trained to be a service animal, but I doubt anyone has done so. The only service animals I have heard about are dogs.
3 people like this
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Mar 10
hiowlwings wow yep they are serving alright, picking up all the scraps. never thought of that.he he.
@GardenGerty (157661)
• United States
26 Mar 10
I have never lived in a lease situation. The fact that Morgana is necessary for you emotional well being classifies her as a service animal, I think. I guess if you could prove an aquarium helped lower your blood pressure it could fall under the same type of idea. I believe I have heard of monkeys as service animals. Hope all goes well with your lease. If the cat came with you when you moved in and you did not lie about it, I do not believe they can make you get rid of her.
1 person likes this
@StowesPod (16)
• United States
28 Mar 10
I must agree strongly with this person. There must be a basis of fair play outlined for anyone heading a 'hearing'...I hope it doesn't come to that , and it shouldn't.
@irisheyes (4370)
• United States
28 Mar 10
Frankly, I've never even heard the expression "service animals" before but I think I got the gist of what it means by reading through this thread. I don't always read through an entire thread but this is one thread I'm glad I did read entirely because you have some great responses here. I especially loved the one about Lord Byron's bear and the one about the "guard fish".
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
26 Mar 10
hi twoey how the heck could a fish be a service animal? I am still giggling that that o ne, sounds like the manager is being a little
snide there. well I would think she would abide by what was in your
lease. Of course thats just my opinion, and of course look it up
too. but sounds like there is no problem there now.oh twoey do not
think for a moment that that manager has not been in your apartment,'
they have keys, and I have caught ours in o ur old complex making a
remark about something in our apartment that he could only have known if he had been in our apartment and walked through the rooms. No I have
never had a manager try to change anything in our lease luckily. course now we are apartmentless all those things no longer matter, we were evicted the minute my son told our manager he had lost his job, they have no hearts after so many years as managers. well no not really the minute, but he did not even wait to see if my son could get another job. but all thats water under the bridge.The managers are supposed to notify renters if they need to go into their apartments but I know some do not do that at all ,they just go in and I guess hope the tenant doesn't know they have been in there
.
.@StowesPod (16)
• United States
28 Mar 10
Well, maybe you had something there to "twist" some more time out of 'em for your son to find the work. But it sounds like 'water under the Bridge' to me. hope and pray things get better for you real soon. Good luck!
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
26 Mar 10
Landlords and property owners are always thinking up (or amending) rules and terms of lease. This fact is perfectly illustrated by owlwings, below. Any concessions allowed to any should be put in writing. If your landlord is willing to concede that a cat is a service animal because of your doctor's note that it contributes to your well being, then certainly fish can fall into that category, too. Since you have insurance to cover any potential damages, I wouldn't worry about it. Good tenants are hard to find, and most landlords are willing to make minor allowances to keep them.
2 people like this
@DCMerkle (1281)
• United States
26 Mar 10
twoey68,
You know, when you have a person that is managing a HUD property and dealing with all that paperwork, did you know that they are supposed to be certified? Certified as far as knowing how to do the paperwork and knowing just what the rules of HUD are when it comes to the lease. Now the loophole for the owners is that it's not mandatory that they have someone that is certified. Either way the owners are supposed to hire someone that knows the rules and regs of HUD and HUD leasing.
The thing is, is that many people think that the HUD leasing rules are a special set of rules set up by HUD, their not. The rules that HUD has are the ones that are adopted by HUD for the State, local, and Federal laws on housing already on the books.
As far as the fish tank goes, it has been proven that watching fish swim has a calming effect and if it can be proven that they are of a medical or mental health benefit. I can't see them being defined as service animals. Can a fish fetch?...lol
I know from living in the same situation as you, that every time we get a new office manager, they either have no idea about HUD rules or interpret them in a different way. So, with me, I usually direct them to the website where they can read the rules and regs or give them the number where they can order their own manuals and read until their hearts content. I did, that's why I know about HUD rules and regs...lol I was bored one winter when I was on bed rest.
@Wizzywig (7847)
•
26 Mar 10
I think you should've told this woman that they are "Guard fish", who protect the whole building! You should explain that, on hearing an intruder or detecting a fire, they will splash their tails on the surface of the water with such force that water will spill onto the moisture sensitive pad underneath the tank, connecting a circuit which will trigger a recorded message saying "Danger...please vacate the building!"
@StowesPod (16)
• United States
28 Mar 10
Yeah, my folks (ages 76 and 74) had bought a house in Nevada. 6-7 yrs later, somebody bought the mortgage, jacked their payments up $100 and said they had to get rid of the dogs (2 toy poodles. Man this kind of thing sucks!
I know it has nothing to do with strange service animals; but, the idea that someone takes over and instead of improving relations which, I think in the long run, would cause better residents and care of the place they are in, be it a house or apt. or what ever.
Isn't that what a property owner wants in the long run? I'd think as long as the effected party was insured to cover ALL possible "damages" then, there should be zero hassles.
if in an apt situation, insurance should pay for anything the "cleaning" deposit doesn't cover.
On the not of strange service animals; if a critter keeps a person mentally stable then by all means, let him/her keep it.
On the other hand, if your fish helps you in the tub/pool or water usage medium... why shoot! The tank would be facility...as it were...etc.
