[1009 wilder]

i dont hate dogs just the owners let dogs poop on my grass and tell me to get over it i put pepper now

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by GizmoWhiskers;2304121

[I

Note to newcombers and travelors visiting FL it is illegal to leave pets in cars.[/I] Golf carts, it's an invitation to loose your pet. Please don't assume T V is a safe utopia for your pet to be left alone. Times, they are-a-changing!

That is not true. Florida has no law against leaving a dog in an automobile.

Florida has animal cruelty laws, like most every state in the union, but nothing special about dogs and it is not illegal to leave them in a car, unless it presents some sort of danger.

*Some* counties might have specific regulations. Sumter County specifically allows you to leave a dog in a vehicle, provide there's sufficient ventilation, etc.

http://sumtercounty-fl.elaws.us/code/coor_ch4_sec4-14

Folks should check the FACTS, before posting.

[Sherkugawa]

TV is very dog friendly. There will always be dog haters but I don’t know any. My dog thinks everyone he sees is coming to see him and have had no unpleasant experiences in the almost 2 years he’s lived here. I too don’t like dog parks. I walk my dog in the neighborhood and around a couple of local lakes (not too close to the shore because of crocs) including the multimodal paths. You do have to be careful on the mm paths as golf carts use them as well. I’ve brought my do to the squares, not often, and I see other dogs there regularly. So they are allowed in the squares. Sounds like you are great and responsible dog owners and I think you will be happy in TV!

Originally Posted by Loriemoms

We are moving in mid march...we have two mid size dogs who are spoiled couch potatoes. We traveled a lot with them in our RV so they are used to being walked etc. We bought a courtyard villa so they will most likely do most of thier hanging out in our yard. We are super duper conscious of picking up after them. And hate people who don't pick up after thier dogs! My question is they do love thier walks..and one of them just LOVES people..he wants everyone to pet him but he knows he has to respect others. Is walking along the walking paths that big of an issue with your dog as I am reading? We don't care for dog parks as people don't watch thier dogs..is this the only options besides our yard? Are dogs really banned from the squares? Just trying to prepare ourselves...

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by GizmoWhiskers

...
Note to newcombers and travelors visiting FL it is illegal to leave pets in cars. Golf carts, it's an invitation to loose your pet. Please don't assume T V is a safe utopia for your pet to be left alone. Times, they are-a-changing!

There may be a County ordinance but I'll bet there is no Florida Statute that makes it illegal to leave a pet in a car.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

That is not true. Florida has no law against leaving a dog in an automobile.

Florida has animal cruelty laws, like most every state in the union, but nothing special about dogs and it is not illegal to leave them in car, unless it presents some sort of danger.

*Some* counties might have specific regulations. Sumter County specifically allows you to leave a dog in a vehicle, provide there's sufficient ventilation, etc.

http://sumtercounty-fl.elaws.us/code/coor_ch4_sec4-14

Folks should check the FACTS, before posting.

Thank you

[LonnyP]

Walking on the sidewalks that are raised and above traffic is good. Multimodel paths are definitely not good. The many paths that are just walking paths are good, but you might meet bicycles. There are tons of dogs here. Many people here will see your dogs would like to meet them. They will respond and ask to meet your dogs and it normally works. Town Squares not closed to them, many dogs there but keep in mind there are lots of people, other dogs, and golf carts driven mixed with cars. Can be hectic.

[Gunny2403]

Don’t understand your concerns. I walk my dog around my neighborhood twice a day. No issues, neighbors love him and stop to greet him. I’m known not by my name but as Louie’s owner. We walk along Fenney way, greet other dogs, other walkers and move to the right for bikers. No issues. I do not like the dog parks. Some dog owners do not watch them as they should and I’m not willing to risk our dog getting kennel cough or other afflictions. Don’t trust that they have their shots.

[ThirdOfFive]

I’m not a dog person but I certainly have no problem with the dogs and owners I’ve encountered here. Aside from the occasional ax-grinder you will find that most Villagers are the live-and-let-live variety. As long as Rover minds his P’s and Q’s he is welcome pretty much everywhere and very few folks will say anything. Some stores have banned dogs (Publix, a hardware store I’ve been to) from their premises except for boba ride service dogs but it isn’t uncommon at all to see dogs at Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, etc. either in a cart or on a leash. In our going-on-four-years now I’ve seen precisely ONE dog that was disruptive, and that was at some town square festival or other with the dog in question yapping at people and other dogs. Noisy and disruptive, but the dog wasn’t aggressive. He didn’t stay there long…I think someone talked to the owner about it.

Owners too seem pretty amenable to suggestions if their dog is causing a problem. A few years back a neighbor (lady across the street) was letting her dog whiz on my grass. I spoke good-naturedly to her about it and she had no problem keeping her dog off my grass. I imagine the majority of owners would be as open to something like that. Keep things civil and friendly and a lot of problems can be nipped in the bud.

On the plus side, they’re great conversation-starters.

[Nell57]

Be sure and add your pets names to your sign out front. I no longer have the health to care for a dog, but I love my neighbors dogs and recognize they are an important part of thefamily.
When you hear “No dogs allowed on this path”, that’s referencing very few paths here in TV.
The one by Lake Miona Regional Cener has that designation. But it is beside a nature preserve and there are all kinds of critters in there. So this is really for your dogs safety.
All of the other Multimodal Paths are at your discretion.

[MollyJo]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

My takeaway on this post:

You have already gotten a home here, and will be living here three weeks from now. And today - three weeks before you move in, is when you first decided to ask about the community's perspective of dogs?

If you really wanted to prepare yourselves, you would've asked these questions the first day you decided to even WONDER about the Villages as an option for your next move. What would've happened if you found out - three weeks before move-in day - that the only option for your two medium sized dogs was to keep them penned up in your courtyard for the rest of their lives? What kind of "preparation" would you be making?

SMH - what kind of dog-lovers would move in to a place that they believe bans their pets, and then wait til three weeks before move-in day to ask for confirmation.

Have a wonderful, sunny day in The Friendliest Hometown…TV 🌞

[kimgarwel12@gmail.com]

I think the Villages is VERY pet friendly!! We only take our fur baby where I know she's welcome!! However, I can speak to the predator issue though, firsthand. We have a 7 lb schnoodle and I let her out on our fenced patio one afternoon and turned to come back in the house when I heard a whooshing sound. I turned around in time to see a huge hawk swooping in to grab her, talons bared. Gilly was going in the other direction, but cowered, trying to get away. Fortunately, the wingspan on this bird was wide enough that it got caught up between the side of the house and the privacy fence, so it corrected itself and flew away. Lesson learned!! Even in a fenced yard, your fur baby isn't safe!! Now, we don't let her out without one of us being with her at all times. Coyotes are all over down here and can jump the privacy fences easily. We've had a bobcat nearby as well. We even had a gator wander into our villa community, into one of the back yards......and there isn't even a pond nearby!! So, predators definitely!!! Be VERY careful!!

[Joe C.]

Good dogs are good pets. If I see them in the town square, I'll ask the owner if I can give them a dog treat and pet them. I always carry a bag of doggie treats. However, to see a dog in a restaurant or supermarket is annoying. IMHO they don't belong there. So bring your dogs ...... I'll have a treat for them.

[oldtimes]

Originally Posted by CFrance

So a person buys a house in TV and joins the forum (they did in Feb of 2024). The norm for moving to any neighborhood is bring your pets. That's the standard, unless it's a pet-free community. Why would you even think to ask about pets being welcomed. They're welcomed in the majority of communities.

After joining the forum, the new homeowner then comes across dog-hating threads of the 10-15 haters mentioned above, and starts to worry about it because he/she doesn't realize that this forum is a minute fraction of The Villages residents.

And then gets a snarky comment about not asking the community (that they weren't a part of till February) about dogs before moving here. From a person that doesn't have a dog.
Amazing.

[DrHitch]

Dog walking tips for renters and snowbirds....

Up North, many areas have sidewalks. The "treelawn" or whatever you call it, gets used by dog walkers (just always pick up poop).

But there are no sidewalks in The Villages, so we forget that fact, and dogs may pee on the street edge of a neighboring yard....don't know what else to do?

[airstreamingypsy]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

As Tophcfa said, at least 50% of Villagers have dogs and they're welcome most everywhere, by most people, including in the Squares.

My dog is mostly a Golden, so he believes everyone's goal in life, is to pet him. Around The Villages, he seems to be right.

My mission in life is to pet your Golden, and every other dog.