FAIRNESS SHOULDN’T DEPEND ON THE SPECIES

In 2018, the Board revised our community’s pet rules, but they stopped short of addressing one of the most common sources of frustration in Willow Glen Creek: unequal enforcement.

There are three facts ignored by the current revised pet rules:

1. Dogs are defined as pets.
2. Cats are defined as pets.
3. Pets do not have the same rules applied to them.

Right now, only dogs are required to be leashed in the Common Areas. Cat owners are merely “encouraged” to accompany their pets. That might sound harmless, but in practice it means that when a cat roams the Common Area, uses any part of the Common Area as a litter box*, or disturbs another resident’s space, there’s no accountability because there’s no rule requiring the owner to be present.

This isn’t about cats vs. dogs.

It’s about fair rules, applied equally to everyone.

Before anyone says it — the Rules already clearly hold pet owners responsible for picking up solid waste "immediately", not urine. So yes, my dog pees there. Because the Rules say she can.

The current rule creates a double standard — dogs are regulated, cats are not.

• Enforcement becomes impossible when the rule itself is inconsistent.

• It fuels neighbor disputes and resentment instead of clear expectations.

• “Encouraged” is not enforceable. The result? The Board looks the other way.

And how do I know the Board looks the other way? I've made 11 formal written complaints to the Board about at least three different cats (owned by people who live here) using the Common Area immediately outside my front door as a litter box. 

Not once has one of those cats' owners come to pick it up.

Not once have I observed the owner of the cat with it while in the Common Area.

Not once has the Board taken action. The reason I am certain the Board hasn't taken action is the 11 complaints. And thus the need for a Uniform Complaint Procedure and Policy.

A single, clear rule that applies to all pets:

“Any pet in the Common Area must be leashed and under the direct supervision of its owner at all times.”

That’s it. No species-specific language. No time-bound language. No confusion. No excuses.

Real accountability.

• Fairness: Everyone plays by the same rules.

• Accountability: Owners are responsible for their animals, period.

• Community standards: Cleaner grounds, fewer complaints, and less tension between neighbors.

• Transparency: A rule that can actually be enforced consistently, without bias.

Leashing pets in shared spaces isn’t unfair or cruel. It’s considerate. It protects animals, preserves our Common Areas, and reduces conflict. It’s a simple principle every should be able to support.

If you agree that fairness should apply to all pet owners — not just some — let the Board know it’s time to actually modernize the pet rules.

Accountability starts with consistency.

And consistency starts with equal rules for everyone.