A woman with three dogs said she was horrified to receive a letter from her homeowners association telling her to get rid of one of her pets or they would do it for her.
To Helleen Brown, her dogs Lady, Gremlin and Hannah are like her kids. They are her family.
"Especially after my husband died. They were really good company," she said.
All three pups live with Brown at the house she owns in the Park Place subdivision in Antioch. She said she was surprised to receive a letter from the HOA telling her she was breaking its bylaws by having three dogs.
"Not to exceed a total of two," Brown said, reading the letter.
The letter asks Brown to get rid of one dog or else the board would remove one and turn it over to "the appropriate agency for keeping or disposal."
"The moment that I had was, 'I guess they're going to call the police and have them break my door down to get one of my dogs,' because that's the only way they're going to get one," she said.
The notice was the first time Brown had ever head anything about the bylaw and she's lived in her home with her dogs for about 10 years.
Shirley Greer, vice president of the homeowners association, said the board first learned about the dogs after a neighbor complained.
"We have had complaints that the dogs are running throughout the neighborhood," Greer said.
When the board looked through the rules concerning pets, Greer said they then discovered the two-pet rule.
"I can't answer for prior boards, but it was just never addressed," Greer said.
The home owners' association doesn't allow homeowners to rent their homes, so for now Brown is stuck.
She has also written a petition to the board.
"I just have to dig my heels in and fight. And that's what I'm going to do," Brown said.
The board is meeting with Brown later this month, and Greer said they are working on a resolution that would allow Brown to keep all her dogs.
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