Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: pet policy (was: Gun policy ...)

[Rob Sandelin (robsan]

On March 07 BARANSKI [at] VEAMF1.NL.NUWC.NAVY.MIL wrote:

>  Another question I
>would ask is, is it really going to make a difference if the co-housing
>commuity has dogs/cats or not.  Unless you are in a very rural area, dogs &
>cats from your neighbors are just going to take over your territory.  And if
>you are in a very rural area, a couple belled dogs/cats aren't going to make a
>big difference.  If you feel I'm wrong, I'd be glad to hear how....

 The state game person referenced three studies done, one of which was 
done not far from Sharingwood Cohousing which kept track of the annual 
kill of 3 free ranging cats.  The total kill by 3 cats of songbirds and 
native rodents was really high, in the hundreds of animals.  (They 
trained the cats to bring back their kills so they could count them).

The whole issue of our pet policy restricitons is a matter of values.  
At Sharingwood, we value the local wildlifes right to live undisturbed 
more than we value the right of pet owners to allow their pets to roam 
free.  There is not easy access to our property and because we are a 
farming area, free roaming dogs are typically shot by the neighbors in 
defence of their livestock so we don't get many dogs from the neighbors 
on our property.


>Co-housing is supposed to be different then many intentional communities in
>that there not supposed to be any one special purpose or value, other then
>valuing community which you use as a filter to weed people out.  Co-housing is
>supposed to be inclusive of different kinds of people.


I am the NW cohousing contact and meet with and talk with ten cohousing 
communities around Puget Sound once a year or so. Each one of them has 
a written values or principles type of statement and most, if not all 
require prospective members to read  and be in accord with those 
values.  I would agree that there is not one special purpose or value, 
but usually several.  Cohousing is self selecting and the values of one 
group may not work for an individual, whereas the values of another 
may.  So technically most the cohousing groups may be inclusive of many 
sorts of people, they really are not.  For example, a conservative 
Christian Republican would not be welcome at Sharingwood, our values 
statement would send such a person running for cover.  And in all 
honesty, the group would not welcome a person with those values.

Anyway, thanks for all the replies and questions. The dialog is intersting.

Rob
Sharingwood Cohousing
Puget Sound Cohousing Network