SPOSF Action Alert - From Ted Loewenberg, Committee Chair and Past President?
By Ted Loewenberg, SPOSFI Board Member

October 11, 2009

I am asking SPOSF Members to write letters regarding the Animal Control and
Welfare Commission's latest proposal to require landlords to allow pets. They
are debating a measure stating that landlords cannot discriminate against pet
owners and that tenants have a right to have pets.

In Friday's Examiner (October 9) Commissioner Angela Padilla said it
was a mandate that first required landlords to rent to black people, unmarried
couples and people with children.

“Often it is a mandate that was required to make change on all these issues.
Landlords groups were on the wrong side of all these issues,” she said. “My
feeling is we're at the vanguard of another issues of inclusion.”

Please write letters to both the Chronicle and the Examiner expressing your
views that might include:

1. Animal Control should not be interfering in contracts between 2 competentadults.
    
2. With pets there is an additional liability for the property owner,
   potential complaints from other renters as well as additional wear and tear.

In short, it is up to the housing provider to accept pets or not.
The email addresses follow:

www.sfgate.com/chronicle/submissions/#1
letters@sfexaminer.com