HELP! What about Fido? If you are from a big city, esp. Boston, read this!!! PLEASE

[kcol22]

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Hi everyone-- I have a dilemma... I want to bring my dog with me to med school. She is very big, but has a very low energy level (so I believe she could handle an apartment). My question is: is it possible to find somewhere to live with my dog in Boston? If not I will die! If so, how do I go about locating this apartment?

 

[vladtaltos]

If you already know what med sch you are going to, then I would think they should have a housing office that could help you with that.

good luck w/ your search.

 

[Woots32]

I'm taking Hugo with me wherever I go. Part of the reason I got such a small dog was to make it easier to find a place to live, and I tried to apply to places that I thought might be pet-friendly.

I found a website that might help - People With Pets .

Good luck! 😀

 

[tkim]

Try this site:

http://www.bostonapartments.com/

It's searchable for just places that are pet-friendly.

Didn't look to see where you are moving from, but if it's not NYC or Cali, sit down before you start looking.

Good luck!

- Tae

 

[UCLA2000]

Originally posted by kcol22
My question is: is it possible to find somewhere to live with my dog in Boston? If not I will die!

Damn woman, I guess you made up your mind! 🙄

 

[JM.]

I have that problem too - except I have a mid-sized dog with a super high high high energy level. I call her the wonder dog. Anyway - I am worried that even if I can find a place where I can keep her, she won't get enough play time or exercise wih me being in school in the city. So I think I may leave her with Mom and Dad. I love her, and I want to have her with me, but I don't know if it will be fair to her.

She is a Rott. cross, so when I got her I figured she would be a slug and easy to bring with me to school, ect. She isn't though - she's nuts.

 

[bridgie]

I live in Boston and you just have to be aware that pet apts are usually about 100 more a month than non pet. Make sure you compare the prices yourself.

 

[Rdhdstpkd]

it's not impossible, but like bridgie said it will be more expensive- and if you're in boston that just adding flame to the fire. which school? if you're going to bu you could live in a suburb just south of town and might have and easier time of it. check out places in south boston, north quincy and quincy, and dorchester. boston has excellent public transit so getting to and from school wouldn't be too bad and the likelihood of a pet friendly apartment would be much higher.
in addition to www.bostonapartments.com you might want to check out www.boston.com 's real estate section.

good luck.

 

[kcol22]

thanks for the help everyone-- "Bella" and I are grateful.🙂
I will try out those websites. Although I am not sure which school I am going to yet (UCLA2000 take note ) it seems like a good idea to think ahead, since one of my top three schools is in Boston.

 

[koolkao]

Originally posted by Rdhdstpkd
it's not impossible, but like bridgie said it will be more expensive- and if you're in boston that just adding flame to the fire. which school? if you're going to bu you could live in a suburb just south of town and might have and easier time of it. check out places in south boston, north quincy and quincy, and dorchester. boston has excellent public transit so getting to and from school wouldn't be too bad and the likelihood of a pet friendly apartment would be much higher.
in addition to www.bostonapartments.com you might want to check out www.boston.com 's real estate section.

good luck.

yeah it's not easy in Boston. I've visited apartment complexes and talked to rental agents... I believe there are places that do not allow pets *on contract* but do not in reality ban them. I saw with my own eyes a couple of places in the Fenway area where this was true. The reason that was given was that the renters don't want to be responsible for the pets and all the havoc they are capable of wrecking.

I wanted to rent a place where I can keep a pet, legitimately. The rental market was difficult as it was 4 years ago, so I ended up pet-less for all this time. It's quite painful for me actually, so I'm looking forward to med schools that have lots of open spaces around like Duke.

anyway I suggest you talk to the apartment tenants to find out.

 

[hisenthlay]

I have never lived in Boston, but I've rented in Philly and Chicago with my three big dogs (once in a one bedroom apt). Apartments.com is ok, but I always had much better luck looking in the local papers (you can do it online, and not for just the major area one, also for the weekly neighborhood ones). Apartments.com and that sort of thing only usually has huge apartment buildings with strict rules and higher prices, but you can find much better deals and bargain with individuals and small landlords who won't make you pay more for pets per month--just a deposit.

I always called any ad that looked good and didn't say "no pets"--if it's not specified, you can often talk them into it by saying how well-behaved and quiet your dog(s) is (are) and by offering references from past landlords. I've rented 4 places like that, and if I can do it with 2 or three big dogs, you can do it with one.

 

[srmonkey]

Boston is not the most pet-friendly city to rent in. Good apartments where pets are allowed are few and far between and are bitterly fought over. What usually happens is that you either end up paying more or are pushed outward and have to commute. It does depend on the animal - small and quiet ones are ok, big barking ones usually not.
You also have to consider making enough time for your dog. You will be away for long periods of time, especially once you start clinicals.
My advice is to look for an apartment in a house. They are usually more allowing of pets, and you can find roomates or neighbors who would love to take care of your dog while you are gone.
Timing can also make a difference. September is the BIG moving month in Boston, with August being second. There may be alot of rentals on the market then, but there is even more competition and the good deals go really fast. Consider moving in off-season.
www.craigslist.com has some good postings, and if you make a personal looking for places with pets i'm sure you'd get some replies. If you are really hard pressed you can inquire through a realtor, but keep in mind they charge one month's rent as a fee, so they push the pricey places.

 

[jonquille]

I found apartments through bostonapartments.com and also in the Boston Globe. Be careful of renting using an agent -- you will have to fork out one month's rent as a realtor's fee! Avoid this at all costs!

If you have friends or friends of friends who live in Boston and live in a complex, you might be able to get in touch with the building landlord directly and avoid paying a realtor's fee (the landlord also avoids paying a fee as well). This is how I found one apartment.

Also, I have looked on the Tufts off campus housing website. It has listings directly from landlords looking to rent to students. There are usually lots of listings.

Good luck.

 

[klp14]

All good ideas guys. Another thing I learned from the NYC apt hunt is that a lot of leases say they allow dogs up to a certain weight limit (sometimes 20lbs, which would only be enough for Woots and Hugo🙂 and sometimes 40-50lbs) but they hardly ever ask for proof. Most non-dog owners have no idea how much a dog weighs even by looking at it so there's no harm done if you fib a little about Bella's weight.

Not sure about Boston, but most major cities have fenced-in places like dog runs where they can run around off leash and get the extra energy out. Even while working full-time and taking grad classes at night, I have enough time to take my 80lb monster to the run a few times/week.

 

[girldoc]

Does anyone have advice about finding housing in NYC with a dog?

 

[Woots32]

Originally posted by klp14
All good ideas guys. Another thing I learned from the NYC apt hunt is that a lot of leases say they allow dogs up to a certain weight limit (sometimes 20lbs, which would only be enough for Woots and Hugo🙂

This is one of the reasons I got such a small dog (who is currently licking the keys as I type 😀 ).

I figure I'll manage to find a place somehow, since people have dogs in almost any city in America. My main worry is leaving Hugie home alone while I'm at class or studying all day. I feel bad enough as it is having to leave him while I go to work. I heard that in some cities (like Milwaukee) they have doggie day care, but that has to be way more expensive than I can afford.

I've only had Hugie for two months and am already considering getting another (adult, this time 😉 ) dog so he can have a friend - once I find an apartment and am settled into school.

Anyone have any advice for an only-child dog? 😕