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My company announced last week that next fall, it will be relocating our office. My current 12-mile commute will turn into 28 miles. So I'm trying to make an informed decision about whether I want to stay where I currently live...or move closer to where office will be located. I'm currently living in an apartment complex. I've now been here for over 4 years, and my lease will expire next October (2010): just in time to relocate, if that's the decision I make.
I come equipped with a dog, so obviously my decision hinges largely on him and his needs and his well-being, etc.
I called a couple of the complexes down in the general area of my new office location and was told that they don't accept Siberian Huskies. They are a restricted breed.
*sigh*
I know I'm barking to the choir here. You guys know. But I'm just so frustrated and annoyed. Stupid, ignorant, blind list [of restricted breeds].
When we were looking for a place to move 2 months ago, one of the places handed us a book with banned breeds. The usual ones were on there, but they also had chihuahuas, beagles, basset hounds, and shelties (and a few others I can't remember) because they are likely to bark and disturb the neighbors. I'm not for banning breeds, but if you're going to do it, be fair and ban the breeds that truly are a nuisance to your neighbor. Sorry you're going through that. Keep calling around, you're bound to find a place that accepts your dog.
Or just commute. I do 200 miles a day, round trip, 5 days a week. I actually have come to enjoy the time alone. And 28 miles isn't that far, really.
No, the miles-distance isn't the issue for me. The problem is that I'm trying to ascertain my most economic option AND the option that will be fairest to my dog. No matter what, this office relocation is going to cost me money. If I stay put, it's going to cost me more in monthly gas expense. (I currently spend about $120 per month, and my commute is 12 miles each way.) If I relocate, I'll likely pay more in rent.
But my REAL issue is my boy, Bandit. My dog has lived on my schedule since he was a puppy, and he's an old pro at holding his pee for 9.5-10 hours per day. But he's now 8 years old, and his ability to hold his pee is likely to diminish as he gets older. And the additional distance in my commute will translate to additional time out of the house...I'm expecting my 20 minute commute to turn into about 60 minutes each way...which will translate to additional time for him to hold his pee. That's just not fair to him. (Nor healthy for him.) (I'm single and don't have a roommate, so he has to wait for me to get home to let him out.)
So then my next option would be to hire a dogsitter to stop by every day and let him out. Okay, fine. The daily rate for that in my area is about $15. That's $300 per month! I can't afford that...especially not on top of an extra $120-$150 or so for gas. Now...maybe some dog sitters would give me a lower rate, but still...even $200 per month for dog-walking services is too much on top of the extra gas cost. And there really aren't any local neighborhood kids I know or would trust with Bandit -- primarily because he's big and strong -- so I don't foresee me finding a "bargain" dogwalker of the kid variety.
Which means that my most economic option -- and the option fairest to Bandit -- might be to relocate altogether. Which takes me back to finding a place that will allow Siberian Huskies.
I have a year to make a decision. It's just that I'm a planner, so I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row. If I decide that moving is the best option for me, then I will need to save for the relocation, the deposits, repainting my apartment, etc.
(Buying a home is not an option for me right now. I don't have savings for a downpayment, and I refuse to buy a home until I can put a full 20% down.)
If you're already commuting 12 miles, why move literally near your new work location? You might have better luck finding a rental that will take the husky that is 8 or 10 miles away. Just thinking that the farther away, the better your chances. But I would definitely move---staying isn't an option for your dog since the long commute will cause him to be alone longer.
Great that you have so long. And being a planner means you're going to make the best decision for Bandit. It's so nice to see a responsible owner! I run into too many that wait until the last minute to make these decisions. I just brought home a doxie boy last night because of that.
Great that you have so long. And being a planner means you're going to make the best decision for Bandit. It's so nice to see a responsible owner! I run into too many that wait until the last minute to make these decisions. I just brought home a doxie boy last night because of that.
I want to see!
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