Service dog avoids violation

Nine months ago, junior Nick Haddad found a small, malnourished male dog with no collar at Griffy Lake.

Haddad’s friend took the dog to the local animal shelter after their discovery. Two weeks went by, and no one claimed the dog.

The animal shelter then notified Haddad the dog would have to be euthanized if he wasn’t adopted.

Haddad adopted the dog. “Griffy,” as Haddad calls him, is a 10 1/2 year-old Chihuahua-Pug mix, weighing around 10 pounds.

“My house became his permanent home,” Haddad said. “He was happy here.”

Griffy lived with Haddad in his IU-owned house at 14th Street and Indiana Avenue until Monday, when Haddad received an email from his housing owner with the headline “Pet Violation.”

IU Real Estate, the owner of the property, told Haddad he was in violation of the “no pet policy” section of his lease.

IU Real Estate performs quarterly inspections on houses to check furnaces and any damages.

Haddad was instructed remove Griffy, pay a $500 fine and pay for any damages Griffy may have caused to the house.

“Once we became aware of it, we brought it to his attention,” IU spokesman Mark Land said.

Haddad said Griffy did not cause any complaints among the other neighborhood tenants.

“He hasn’t caused any damage,” Haddad said, “They would’ve noticed damages when they were doing the inspections.”

Haddad said it’s unclear why it took IU Real Estate nine months to respond.

Haddad said Griffy was usually on the couch or roaming the hallways when the employees were there for inspections.

“They’d leave a note on my door when they left, so I knew they had been there,” Haddad said. “Griffy would’ve been out.”

IU Real Estate had already been to his house multiple times because of a bat problem he had earlier in the year, Haddad said, and no one ever said Griffy was a problem.

Land said IU Real Estate followed lease procedure, which states dogs are not
allowed.

“However, there are exceptions if the dog is a service dog and the tenant can provide proof from some sort of care provider.”

In order to keep his dog, Haddad applied for Griffy to be labeled an emotional support dog, a special type of dog allowed in his house under the Fair Housing Act.

Haddad is currently being treated for depression, something he said will hopefully help the case he makes for Griffy to be considered an emotional support dog.

“Although I know I needed help, I also still need to keep the one thing that’s been helping me out the most,” Haddad said.

Haddad met with IU Real Estate Wednesday to discuss the situation.

IU Real Estate ruled he will be able to keep Griffy as long as Griffy is classified as a service dog. Haddad said he is grateful they listened to his appeal.

“They’re people, too, so they understood the situation,” Haddad said. “At the point that I found him, I was going through a really hard time in my life, and he basically helped me rehabilitate in a way. He made me so much happier.”