Jim Valentine: Pets and real estate

In the rural environment of Northern Nevada, it is quite common for people to have pets. Pets come in all shapes and sizes, from indoor hamsters and cats to the horses, llamas and emus around the outside.

If you live in a development with a Homeowners Association (HOA) you likely have restrictions on the types and amount of pets you can harbor in your home. Even if you don’t have a HOA where you live there can be Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CC&Rs) that limit the types and number of pets you are allowed to have.

If you aren’t subject to a HOA or CC&Rs then be aware that you are subject to the ordinances of the town, city or county in which you live. Each of those can control the nature and population of your pet collection.

This is something to be aware of when you buy your home. If you intend to have horses, make sure that they are allowed on the property you are contemplating acquiring, and that you are allowed a number that meets your needs.

Some subdivisions limit you to two horses. If you are a family of four that can be problematic if you all want a horse to ride. County ordinances can also limit the number of horses according to your parcel size.

Cleanliness is very important when you have animals. Livestock can attract flies which can be bothersome to your neighbors. Keep your stalls and grounds picked up. Smaller, but more odiferous, is the dog excrement.

If you walk your dog off property, you are likely aware that you neighbors are watching your every move, or, more correctly, every move your dog makes, to make sure you pick it up. That is just part of being a good neighbor.

Surprisingly enough, cats can be considered a nuisance by some neighbors. You may let your cat roam, but when they find the neighbors tulip patch to be a pleasing place for relief it can strain relations.

Not that you have much control over your roaming cat but be aware that Fido may be affecting your neighborly relations. Most times roaming cats find friends with handouts to visit thus making friends around the “’hood.”

Annoying and dangerous animals must be controlled. Non-stop dog barking is bothersome to all and will likely result in a call to code enforcement or animal control if you don’t control it yourself.

A biting or otherwise threatening dog or other animal, i.e., ferret, must be contained so as to prevent innocent neighbors from being the victim of the animal’s lack of civility. When you drive down our country roads be sure to remember that animals live here.

Animals of all types can escape their enclosure and expose themselves to danger on the nearby roads. Rural roads have slow speed limits for a reason. They are rural, not arterials. Whether it be pets that have broken free of their enclosure, or wild animals crossing the road, animals aren’t car/motorcycle savvy.

Too many people use the rural roads to test their car’s acceleration. Save that for highways, not byways. Living with animals means responsibility. That is what our children learn from having a pet to care for and it is what adults should remember when they assemble their adult pet collection.

Adult pets usually need an area far beyond the glass boundary of the goldfish bowl of your youth, and as a result there is much more visibility of consequences. Understand your neighborhood and the nature of your pets and you, and your pets, will have a wonderful co-existence.

Pets can bring great joy not only to their owners but to passersby as well. Make sure your pet is kept safe and out of harm’s way. If you’ve pasture animals check your fencing. If you’ve animals that frequent your pasture then make sure they, too, are well contained.

If your dog is chasing livestock, you might be shocked at what the consequences can be in Nevada. Keep your pet safe.

When it comes to choosing professionals to assist you with your Real Estate needs… Experience is Priceless! Jim Valentine, License No. BS-03481, RE/MAX Gold Carson Valley 775-781-3704. dpwtigers@hotmail.com